2019 NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 5

NEW ORLEANS – The idiom “the calm before the storm” couldn’t be more apt to describing the most recent NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll that was released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

With teams resting ahead of the biggest weekend of the regular season, the largest gain by any team was one spot, headlined by Washington (Mo.) and SUNY Geneseo swapping spots in the top-5. Otherwise, it was pretty boilerplate stuff for the most part.

NCAA Division III — Men's Cross Country

This Week's National Top Five

1
North Central (Ill.)

1
Williams

3
Wartburg

4
Washington (Mo.)

5
SUNY Geneseo

Cross Country Polls & Rankings

NATIONAL POLL

REGIONAL RANKINGS

But as we look ahead to this weekend, 23 ranked teams are in action between three different meets: The KollegeTown Sports Invitational hosted by UW-Oshkosh (10), the Connecticut College Invitational (7) and the Inter-Regional Rumble hosted by Oberlin (7).

Five top-10 teams are slated to compete in Winneconne, Wisconsin, as top-ranked North Central (Ill.) squares off with third-ranked Wartburg, the aforementioned fourth-ranked Bears, No. 9 Pomona-Pitzer and No. 10 UChicago. Speaking of those top-ranked Cardinals, this is the 27th week in a row that they have been at the top of the National Coaches’ Poll, which ties the modern era record (Johns Hopkins sat No. 1 in the NCAA DIII Women’s National Coaches’ Poll for the same duration from 2013 to 2015).

There will only be one team that is ranked in the top-10 at the Connecticut College Invitational, but it’s a big one. That would be top-ranked Williams, which is tied atop the weekly index with North Central (Ill.) for the second week in a row. The Ephs will see a number of teams they beat at the Purple Valley Classic, including No. 12 MIT, No. 14 RPI and No. 18 Amherst, among others.

Then we have the Inter-Regional Rumble with three teams ranked in the top-20: No. 11 Otterbein, No. 15 John Carroll and No. 17 Bates. This will be a great opportunity for those three programs, which have turned in some remarkable results so far this season, to continue to show the voting coaches their growth in the toughest situations.

St. Lawrence returns to the National Coaches’ Poll after a two-week absence. The Saints finished a strong runner-up at the 28th Annual Richard C. Hoffmann Invitational this past weekend.

Be sure to check back next week to see how much changes between Week 5 and Week 6!