2022 NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Milligan (Tenn.) might have remained No. 1 in the NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, but it has company in the guise of The Master’s (Calif.).
Keep reading to find out what happened in the newest edition of the NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, as released by the NAIA National Office on Thursday.
NAIA — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Milligan (Tenn.)
Milligan (Tenn.)
2
The Master's (Calif.)
The Master's (Calif.)
3
Dordt (Iowa)
Dordt (Iowa)
4
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon
5
Indiana Wesleyan
Indiana Wesleyan
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Milligan (Tenn.) captured 12 of 21 possible first-place votes in Week 3, following a strong, runner-up effort at the Royals XC Challenge this past weekend. The Buffaloes gave NCAA DII Augusta a run for its money over the 8k distance at McAlpine Park, but depth eventually won. Milligan (Tenn.) did, however, put two runners in the scored top-6, led by Will Stockley.
The Master’s (Calif.) turned an upset victory at the FSU Invitational into a big jump up the leaderboard. The Mustangs, who traveled more than 2,000 miles to Tallahassee, Florida, to preview the course that will host the upcoming NAIA Championships, took down NCAA DI Florida State by 13 points. The Master’s (Calif.) was the only squad in the 30-team field with two athletes in the top-5, three athletes in the top-15 and four athletes in the top-20. The Mustangs snagged nine first-place votes from the coaches and improved their rank from No. 4 to No. 2.
Dordt (Iowa) held steady at No. 3 for yet another week. The Defenders last competed at their own Defender Holiday Inn Express Classic and romped to a 33-point victory over No. 13 Grand View (Iowa). Reigning M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week Joe Anderson won the race.
Eastern Oregon took a step forward, going from No. 5 to No. 4, while former No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan tumbled three spots to No. 5 after a fourth-place showing at the FSU Invitational.
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 3: No. 6 Saint Mary (Kan.), No. 7 Oklahoma City, No. 8 Grace (Ind.), No. 9 College of Idaho and No. 10 Montreat (N.C.).
Mark your calendars for Friday, November 18, because that’s when the 2022 NAIA Cross Country Championships will be held at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida.
