2019 NCAA DIII Cross Country Regional Rankings – Week 2
NEW ORLEANS – We’re beginning to see some movement in the NCAA Division III Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings.
A busy weekend across the nation shook things up in several regions, as we have several new No. 1 teams and a host of other changes in the most recent iteration released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Remember: We’ll find out which teams earn automatic bids to the 2019 NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 23, one week earlier when they tangle at the regional championship meets.
Men’s Story
Atlantic Region
There was a slight change to the order of the top-5 teams in the Atlantic Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
While SUNY Geneseo, RPI, Rochester (N.Y.), and Brockport all sit in line from No. 1 to No. 4, St. Lawrence leapfrogged SUNY Oneonta into the No. 5 position. The Saints won the Aldrich Invitational this past weekend and beat nationally-ranked Middlebury.
Central Region
There was a slight change to the order of the top-5 teams in the Central Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
While Wartburg, Carleton, St. Olaf and St. Thomas (Minn.) all sit in line from No. 1 to No. 4, Luther leapfrogged Loras into the No. 5 position. The Norse recently won the team title at their own All-American Invitational.
Great Lakes Region
There was a slight change to the order of the top-5 teams in the Great Lakes Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
While Calvin, Otterbein, John Carroll and Case Western Reserve all sit in line from No. 1 to No. 4, DePauw leapfrogged Trine into the No. 5 position. The Tigers hung tough at the John McNichols Invitational this past weekend against a field loaded with NCAA DI programs.
Mideast Region
There were a few notable changes to the order of the top-5 teams in the Mideast Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
While Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins and Haverford all sit in order from No. 1 to No. 3, Dickinson jumped one spot to No. 4 and Moravian soared from outside of the top-10 to No. 5. Both the Red Devils and the Greyhounds competed at the Short Course Invitational this past weekend with the former winning the team title and the latter finishing second.
Midwest Region
There was no change to the order of the top-5 teams in the Midwest Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
No. 1 North Central (Ill.) and No. 2 Washington (Mo.) still headline the index, while No. 3 UW-La Crosse, No. 4 UChicago and No. 5 UW-Stevens Point round out the top-5.
New England Region
There was no change to the order of the top-5 teams in the New England Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
No. 1 Williams and No. 2 MIT still headline the index, while No. 3 Bates, No. 4 Amherst and No. 5 Middlebury round out the top-5. We should see some movement next week as most of these teams will battle at the Purple Valley Classic.
South/Southeast Region
There was a slight change to the order of the top-5 teams in the South/Southeast Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
While Emory, Berea (Ky.), Washington and Lee and Lynchburg all sit in line from No. 1 to No. 4, Oglethorpe jumped two spots from No. 7 to No. 5. The Stormy Petrels continue to move up the ranks thanks to their strong effort at the Rhodes College Invitational this past weekend, where their 3-4-5 runners all finished within two seconds of each other.
West Region
There was no change to the order of the top-5 teams in the West Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and No. 2 Pomona-Pitzer still headline the index, while No. 3 UC Santa Cruz, No. 4 Occidental and No. 5 Redlands round out the top-5.
Women’s Story
Atlantic Region
There was no change to the order of the top-5 teams in the Atlantic Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
No. 1 SUNY Geneseo and No. 2 RPI still headline the index, while No. 3 Rochester (N.Y.), No. 4 TCNJ and No. 5 RIT sit in order behind them.
Central Region
There was no change to the order of the top-5 teams in the Central Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
No. 1 Carleton and No. 2 Wartburg still headline the index, while No. 3 St. Thomas (Minn.), No. 4 St. Olaf and No. 5 Gustavus Adolphus round out the top-5.
Great Lakes Region
There was a slight change to the order of the top-5 teams in the Great Lakes Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
While Oberlin is still No. 1, Hope leapfrogged Baldwin Wallace into the No. 2 spot after finishing third at the Wheaton Gil Dodds Invitational this past weekend.
The aforementioned Yellowjackets are No. 3, while Case Western Reserve and John Carroll round out the top-5 at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
Mideast Region
There was a slight change to the order of the top-5 teams in the Mideast Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
While Johns Hopkins, Dickinson, Carnegie Mellon and Messiah all sit in order from No. 1 to No. 4, Swarthmore jumped three spots to No. 5. The Garnet recently finished fourth at the Main Line Invitational this past weekend, beating former ME #5 Haverford.
Midwest Region
There were some major changes to the order of the top-5 teams in the Midwest Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
UChicago is the No. 1 team after taking down previous No. 1 Washington (Mo.) this past weekend at the Wheaton Gil Dodds Invitational. The Maroons, who are ranked No. 1 in the region for the first time since 2014, looked strong in victory and put six runners in the top-12.
The aforementioned Bears dropped one spot to No. 2 and are followed by No. 3 UW-La Crosse, No. 4 UW-Eau Claire and No. 5 Elmhurst.
New England Region
There was no change to the order of the top-5 teams in the New England Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
No. 1 Williams and No. 2 MIT still headline the index, while No. 3 Tufts, No. 4 Middlebury and No. 5 Wesleyan (Conn.) all sit in order behind them. Many of those teams will race this weekend at the Purple Valley Classic.
South/Southeast Region
There were some major changes to the order of the top-5 teams in the South/Southeast Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
Washington and Lee took over the top spot of the region for the first time since 2014. The Generals starred at the Main Line Invitational this past weekend, finishing runner-up to NCAA Division I Villanova and beating NCAA Division I Penn.
Centre jumped one spot from No. 3 to No. 2, the same place it occupied in the preseason. The Colonels recently finished fifth at the Rhodes College Invitational and topped previous S/SE #2 Emory in the process.
The aforementioned Eagles are now No. 3, followed by No. 4 Rhodes and No. 5 Trinity (Texas).
West Region
There was no change to the order of the top-5 teams in the West Region between Week 1 and Week 2.
No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and No. 2 Pomona-Pitzer still headline the index, while No. 3 UC Santa Cruz, No. 4 Occidental and No. 5 Caltech sit in order behind them.
