2021 NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 7
NEW ORLEANS – Conference Championships Weekend truly shook things up!
Here is the Week 7 edition of the NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, as released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Only five of the top-35 teams remained in place since Week 6 as there were some major changes to the index after an action-packed weekend of racing.
NCAA Division III — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Wartburg
Wartburg
2
Pomona-Pitzer
Pomona-Pitzer
3
MIT
MIT
4
Williams
Williams
5
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Nothing changed at the top of the poll: Wartburg and Pomona-Pitzer remained No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, for yet another week. The unanimous Knights rolled to victory at the American Rivers Conference Championships, while the Sagehens held off a strong challenge from now-No. 5 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at the SCIAC Championships. Pomona-Pitzer had its hands full on its home course, but its depth proved superior, putting all seven athletes in the top-13.
MIT and Williams swapped spots, despite both winning conference titles this past weekend. The Engineers recorded a perfect score at the NEWMAC Championships, as Ryan Wilson led the way with an individual title in 24:58.8. The Ephs fought off Middlebury for the team title at the NESCAC Championships, as they only won by eight points. Speaking of the Panthers, they jumped two spots from No. 14 to No. 12 thanks to that effort in Connecticut this past weekend.
Elsewhere in the top-15, UW-La Crosse and Carnegie Mellon both improved their standing three or more spots since Week 6. The WIAC champion Eagles soared three spots from No. 11 to No. 8, while the UAA champion Tartans barked up the right tree six times from No. 17 to No. 11.
Colby owns the title of Biggest Mover of the Week after a 13-spot rise from No. 30 to No. 17. The Mules finished a clear third at the NESCAC Championships, despite going into the meet as the fifth-ranked team in the field. Tyler Morris won the individual title in 24:28.7 and Colby saw its second through fifth runners all finish within 15 seconds of each other between Nos. 16 to 24.
Four teams improved multiple spots in the bottom half of the poll as well: MIAC runner-up St. Olaf went from No. 26 to No. 24; Liberty League runner-up Vassar went from No. 28 to a program-best No. 25; NESCAC fourth-place finisher Tufts went from No. 31 to No. 26; MIAA champion Calvin went from No. 32 to No. 30.
Three new teams joined the poll in Week 7: SCAC champion Colorado College is back in the index for the first time since 2011 at No. 31 ; NESCAC sixth-place finisher Amherst is now ranked No. 33; NJAC champion TCNJ is now ranked No. 35.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Saturday, November 20, because that’s when the 2021 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships will be held at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park in Louisville, Kentucky!
