2022 NJCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 4
NEW ORLEANS – A new program emerged as No. 1 in the Week 4 edition of the NJCAA Division II Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
NJCAA Division II — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
2
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
3
Lansing (Mich.) CC
Lansing (Mich.) CC
4
Heartland (Ill.) CC
Heartland (Ill.) CC
5
Cowley (Kan.)
Cowley (Kan.)
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
This is the final poll of the year before the 2022 NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, which are set for Saturday, November 12 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida.
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC is No. 1 for the first time, edging ahead of No. 2 Mesa (Ariz.) CC and former No. 1 Lansing (Mich.) CC, which is now No. 3. Just two votes separated the trio, each of which received multiple first-place votes.
The Region I Championships brought together Paradise Valley and Mesa for a great matchup as the two squads combined for the first 14 finishers. Mesa’s Yotuel Garcia and Javier Garcia (no relation) went 1-2, but the Pumas followed with all five scorers going 3-4-5-6-7 to win the team title with 25 points ahead of the Thunderbirds’ 31. Both programs will be looking for a first Division II title – Paradise Valley has three DI crowns (most recently in 2011), while Mesa – fourth last year – is seeking its first of any variety.
After being No. 1 all year long, Lansing is No. 3 despite earning six of the 11 first-place votes. The Stars, led by individual runner-up Michael Dennis, comfortably won the Region XII Championships with 29 points ahead of four other ranked teams. Lansing has won six DII titles – most recently in 1999 – although the Stars won the DI title in 2007. They were fifth in DII last year.
Moving up a spot to No. 4 is Heartland (Ill.) CC, which was as high as No. 2 earlier in the year. The Hawks won the Region XXIV Championships with a perfect score of 15 points. Heartland – third in last year’s nationals – will be seeking a first-ever team title.
Cowley (Kan.) moves up a rung to No. 5; they also were as high as No. 2 earlier this year. Cowley was the highest-finishing DII program in the Region VI Championships, even finishing ahead of three DI teams. The Tigers are reigning national champions and can also claim a DI team crown (2010).
Completing the top-10 are No. 6 Daytona State (Fla.), No. 7 Allen (Kan.) CC, No. 8 NorthWest Arkansas CC, No. 9 Grand Rapids (Mich.) CC and No. 10 Lake-Sumter (Fla.).
