2023 NCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Preseason
Here is the preseason iteration of the NCAA Division II Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll for the 2023 season, as released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday. Remember that this poll is conducted by counting votes from eight member coaches – one from each of the division’s eight regions – who also do the Regional Rankings.
NCAA Division II — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Colo. School of Mines
Colo. School of Mines
2
Adams State
Adams State
3
Wingate
Wingate
4
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
5
Chico State
Chico State
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
It’s no surprise that 2022 national champion Colorado School of Mines is the preseason favorite to begin the season. Yet, without the firepower of individual national champion Dillon Powell and Luke Julian (13th), the Orediggers may face their biggest challenge to date. They will rely on Duncan Fuehne (third) and Loic Scomparin (tenth) to head the charge with a few new transfers on the way.
Sitting in the No. 2 spot is Adams State who had quite the remodel over the past few months. Despite suffering a multitude of departures from last year’s roster, the Grizzlies recruited a dynamic new crew with loads of depth. Romain Legendre of France (13:35 5k) and Emil Bezecny of Austria (14:21 5k) will make the trip across the Atlantic, hoping that their European success will translate to the collegiate scene.
A congested field after the top-2 has Wingate sliding into the No. 3 position. The Bulldogs will build off a monumental season that saw them finish on the podium for the first time in program history and record the highest ever finish by a Southeast Region program. Scott Nutter (22nd) and company will attempt to lower the 56-second spread that led to the fireworks.
Located at the No. 4 slot is Grand Valley State, which must do without the services of individual runner-up Tanner Chada. It will be up to Caleb Futter (14th) and Brock Wooderson (39th), as well as Andrew Hylen to repeat and improve on a slew of All-American performances.
Rounding out the top-5 is Chico State, matching their final placement at the 2022 NCAA DII Cross Country Championships. With a stacked freshman class and numerous West Region titles to the Wildcat’s name, Rory Abberton (25th) will lead the pursuit towards a national title.
Here are the rest of the preseason top-10 teams: No. 6 Colorado Christian, No. 7 Augustana (S.D.), No. 8 Lee (Tenn.), No. 9 West Texas A&M and No. 10 Western Washington. This is the highest ranking in program history for the Buffaloes.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 18, as that’s when the 2023 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships will take place at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course in Joplin, Missouri!
