2021 NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 1
NEW ORLEANS – If the most recent installment of the NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll is any indication, we’re in for a wild ride the rest of the season.
Twenty-seven programs shifted spots in the Week 1 edition of the index, which was released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
NCAA Division III — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Wartburg
Wartburg
2
Williams
Williams
3
SUNY Geneseo
SUNY Geneseo
4
Pomona-Pitzer
Pomona-Pitzer
5
Washington (Mo.)
Washington (Mo.)
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Nothing changed at the top, as Wartburg and Williams remained No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The Knights, who earned seven of 10 possible first-place votes, competed twice this season so far, most recently rolling to a victory at the Les Duke Invitational, where they took the top-4 spots and six of the first seven finishers. The Ephs, who nabbed the three remaining first-place votes, dominated a dual meet against MCLA to open the season last week.
SUNY Geneseo jumped four spots from No. 7 to No. 3 following several strong efforts. The Knights cruised to a season-opening victory at the Fisher-Rodenbeck Early Season Invitational, taking four of the top-7 spots. Then, SUNY Geneseo nearly took down NCAA Division I Dartmouth at the Maribel Sanchez-Souther Invitational this past weekend. Nick Andrews led the way for the Knights in third place and three of his teammates also finished in the top-10.
Both Johns Hopkins and Calvin climbed into the top-10 for the first time this season. The Blue Jays went from No. 13 to No. 8 thanks to a sterling performance at the Johns Hopkins Kickoff Classic, where they beat NCAA Division I American University, 21-37. The Knights, who are now ranked ninth, ran exceptionally well at the Calvin Knight Invitational, where they were a close runner-up to reigning NCAA Division II champion Grand Valley State.
Further down, three programs received their best ranking in the past three or four years: Loras at No. 15, for its best since 2017; UC Santa Cruz at No. 20, for its best since 2018; Rowan at No. 25, after not being ranked in the preseason. The Profs dazzled at the Salisbury University Fall Classic on September 4, finishing a close runner-up to NCAA Division I Navy.
Vassar went from the Land of the Not Ranked to No. 28, which is the first time it cracked the top-35 in program history. The Brewers beat former No. 31 RPI head-to-head this past weekend at the Ron Stonitsch Invitational, posting a 30-35 victory thanks to five runners in the top-10.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 20, when the 2021 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships will be held at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park in Louisville, Kentucky!
