2023 NCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Preseason
NEW ORLEANS – In baseball, the tie goes to the runner.
In cross country, the tie is broken by comparing the runners.
That’s what happened last year at the NCAA DI Cross Country Championships when Northern Arizona and Oklahoma State matched each other point-for-point in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Well, once the dust settled, the Lumberjacks held a 3-2 edge over the host Cowboys and the national title went back to Flagstaff for the third year in a row and the six time in the past seven years.
No tiebreakers were needed to determine the preseason favorite in the NCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll: NAU earned nine of 11 first-place votes from the electorate and easily outdistanced the rest of the top-5, led by 2022 runner-up Oklahoma State. The next two spots in the top-5 fell in order with the results from last year: third-place BYU is ranked third; fourth-place Stanford sits fourth. Wisconsin holds down the fifth spot in the preseason.
NCAA Division I — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona
2
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State
3
BYU
BYU
4
Stanford
Stanford
5
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
NAU is a justifiable No. 1 in 2023, as it returns four All-Americans from last year. Nico Young and Drew Bosley, who went No. 2 and No. 3, lead the way for the Lumberjacks with Santiago Prosser (19th place) and Brodey Hasty (25th place) ready to continue their rise. NAU also added several talented freshmen and transfers, and hopes Colin Sahlman makes a big jump in his sophomore year.
Oklahoma State was deemed a clear-cut No. 2 by the coaches and for good reason. The Cowboys, who earned one of the two remaining first-place votes, welcome back four All-Americans from 2022, headlined by two top-15 athletes in the guise of Alex Maier (fifth place) and Fouad Messaoudi (12th place). Victor Shitsama and Rory Leonard were 31st and 32nd in 2022 with Ryan Schoppe right outside All-America consideration. Look for several talented newcomers to work their way into the Oklahoma State top-7 by November.
BYU has been ranked in the preseason top-5 in each of the past five editions and equals its best rank since before the pandemic. Casey Clinger is a bona fide low stick for the Cougars, who were bestowed one first-place vote, gauged by his seventh-place finish in 2022 and two other top-15 efforts in prior years. Clinger will be joined at the front by twin brothers Davin Thompson and Creed Thompson, who both earned All-America honors in 2022. BYU expects big things from James Corrigan, too: Corrigan ran 13:40.86 over 5000 meters this past spring.
Stanford notched its seventh top-5 finish in the past nine years last year and is projected to do so again thanks to its deep roster. While the Cardinal lost 2022 individual champion Charles Hicks, it returns Ky Robinson, Cole Sprout, Thomas Boyden and adds heralded recruits Leo Young and Lex Young to the mix, among others. Robinson is the key cog for Stanford in 2023, as he comes into the year fresh off a two-title outing at the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships: he became the first male athlete to sweep the distance titles since Edward Cheserek in 2016.
Wisconsin holds its best preseason rank since 2015. The Badgers, who finished sixth in Stillwater, Oklahoma, will be paced by 2022 All-Americans Jackson Sharp (16th place) and Bob Liking (34th place). Sharp stood out on the track and showcased his range with a Big Ten title over 1500 meters and a third-place NCAA effort in the 5000 meters. Rowen Ellenberg and Adam Spencer will continue to play a big role in Wisconsin’s success going forward.
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in the preseason: No. 6 North Carolina, No. 7 Colorado, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 9 Portland and No. 10 Virgina. This is the best preseason rank for the Tar Heels in program history and the best since 2015 for ACC rival Virginia.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 18, because that’s when the 2023 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships will be held at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Virginia.
