2021 NJCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 3
NEW ORLEANS – While there was plenty of shuffling in the NJCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, the top two teams separated themselves from the rest in the Week 3 version released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Iowa Central CC remained a unanimous No. 1 selection, with its closest pursuer Colby (Kan.) CC actually making up ground as a clear No. 2. The top-5 regained two programs from earlier this year.
The 2021 NJCAA Division I Cross Country Championships are set for Saturday, November 13, at Pole Green Park in Richmond, Virginia.
NJCAA Division I — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Iowa Central CC
Iowa Central CC
2
Colby (Kan.) CC
Colby (Kan.) CC
3
Cloud County (Kan.) CC
Cloud County (Kan.) CC
4
Southern Idaho
Southern Idaho
5
Fort Hays Tech Northwest (Kan.)
Fort Hays Tech Northwest (Kan.)
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Iowa Central CC continued its impressive season at the Chile Pepper Festival in the John McDonnell Memorial race, finishing as the leading JUCO program for fourth time in four meets this year. Aspel Kiprob – this week’s National Athlete of the Week – led the Tritons and finished ahead of two previous AOWs, including teammate Kelvin Bungei, the defending NJCAA Division I individual champion.
No. 2 Colby (Kan.) CC hasn’t fielded a full squad since an impressive eighth-place finish (second JUCO program) at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational on September 18. Four of its seven freshmen competed in the recent Region VI Preview meet held on Colby’s home course, with Ricardo Barbosa remaining the top Trojan.
Cloud County (Kan.) CC returns to the No. 3 position it occupied in Week 1. The T-Birds were the second-highest JUCO program at the Chile Pepper Festival and are led by Awet Beraki, one of four scorers returning from the team that finished fourth in last year’s NJCAA Division I Championships.
College of Southern Idaho is up to No. 4, its highest ranking of the year. The Golden Eagles won the Ken Garland Invitational with freshman Shane Gard as its top runner (the team’s third No. 1 in three meets). CSI returns six runners from last year’s runner-up squad.
Also returning to the top-5 is Northwest Kansas Tech, which opened the year at No. 4. The Mavericks won the Region VI Preview meet, placing three runners among the top-4 with Vincent Nchogu winning the individual title.
Completing the top-10 are No. 6 Iowa Western, No. 7 New Mexico JC, No. 8 Hagerstown (Md.) CC, No. 9 Central Arizona and No. 10. Indian Hills (Iowa) CC.
