2023 NJCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Ranking – Week 1

NEW ORLEANS – Two recent national champions are among the top teams in the Week 1 NJCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The 2023 NJCAA Division III Cross Country Championships are set for Saturday, November 11 at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama. It will be the first time since 2020 – and only second time since 1995 – that all three NJCAA divisional cross country championships will be contested at the same site on the same day.

NJCAA Division III — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
Harper (Ill.)
Mineral Area (Mo.)
Joliet (Ill.) JC
Hudson Valley (N.Y.) CC
Oxford (Ga.)
1
Harper (Ill.)
2
Mineral Area (Mo.)
3
Joliet (Ill.) JC
4
Hudson Valley (N.Y.) CC
5
Oxford (Ga.)
Cross Country Polls & Rankings

Starting the year at No. 1 is Harper (Ill.). The Hawks were fifth in last year’s NJCAA DIII Championships and are looking for their first title since 2018, which was the last of a streak of eight-straight titles. Harper returns three from last year, including top runner Albert Szewczyk (10th last year).

No. 2 Mineral Area (Mo.) CC is no stranger to high places, finishing second the last two years after winning in 2019 and 2020. The Cardinals look to be soaring again with four returners – three of them scorers, led by last year’s national runner-up Bradley Ahrens.

Joliet (Ill.) JC is No. 3. Members of the rugged Region IV – which includes Harper as well as defending national champion College of DuPage (Ill.) – the Wolves have their highest ranking since being No. 1 in Week 4 of 2021, the year they last won the national title. Joliet returns just one runner from last year in Matt Clark (20th), who also finished fourth in the NJCAA DIII Outdoor 1500.

Hudson Valley (N.Y.) CC is No. 4, its highest ranking since Week 3 of 2021. Two scorers are among three returners from last year’s squad, but freshman Samuel Van Auken was the team’s leading runner in its most recent outing at the RPI Harvest Classic.

No. 5 is a program-high ranking for Oxford (Ga.). Six freshman – including the top-2 of Oliver Campbell and Virat Vishwanadhula – led the Eagles to a runner-up finish at the Point (Ala.) Invitational.

Completing the top-10 are No. 6 (and defending national champion) College of DuPage (Ill.), No. 7 RCSJ Gloucester (N.J.), No. 8 Mohawk Valley (N.Y.) CC, No. 9 Kellogg (Mich.) CC and No. 10 Lorain County (Ohio) CC.

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USTFCCCA NJCAA Division III
Men's Cross Country National Coaches' Poll

2023 Week 1 - September 20th

RANK TEAM & INFOPTSCHANGE
1 harper-ill HARPER (ILL.)
Central Region
Region 4
Jim Macnider (13th)
▲ 4
(LW: 5)
2 mineral-area-mo MINERAL AREA (MO.)
Central Region
Region 16
Steven Davis (6th)
◀▶
(LW: 2)
3 joliet-ill-jc JOLIET (ILL.) JC
Central Region
Region 4
Jeff DeGraw (18th)
◀▶
(LW: 3)
4 hudson-valley-n-y-cc HUDSON VALLEY (N.Y.) CC
Central Region
Region 3 (1)
Sarah Popovics (10th)
▲ 6
(LW: 10)
5 oxford-ga OXFORD (GA.)
East Region
Region 17
Ella O'Kelley (10th)
▲ 7
(LW: 12)
6 dupage-ill DUPAGE (ILL.)
Central Region
Region 4
Robert Cervanka (6th)
▼ 5
(LW: 1)
7 rcsj-gloucester-n-j RCSJ GLOUCESTER (N.J.)
East Region
Region 19
Ryan Hughes (21st)
▲ 8
(LW: 15)
8 mohawk-valley-n-y-cc MOHAWK VALLEY (N.Y.) CC
Central Region
Region 3 (2)
Durell Cull
▲ 11
(LW: 19)
9 kellogg-mich-cc KELLOGG (MICH.) CC
Central Region
Region 12
Tom Shaw (2nd)
NR
10 lorain-county-ohio-cc LORAIN COUNTY (OHIO) CC
Central Region
Region 12
Jim Powers (15th)
▼ 1
(LW: 9)

Dropped Out: No. 4 SUNY Broome CC, No. 6 Suffolk County (N.Y.) CC, No. 7 Westmoreland County, No. 8 St. Charles (Mo.) CC, No. 11 Brookdale (N.J.) CC, No. 13 Finger Lakes (N.Y.) CC, No. 16 Penn Highlands CC, No. 17 Herkimer County (N.Y.) CC, No. 18 Queensborough (N.Y.) CC



Week-by-Week Ranking

TeamWeek #1Week #2Week #3Week #4FINAL
Harper (Ill.)11111
DuPage (Ill.)65442
Mineral Area (Mo.)22223
Joliet (Ill.) JC34334
Oxford (Ga.)53555
Lorain County (Ohio) CC106866
Kellogg (Mich.) CC9677
RCSJ Gloucester (N.J.)78798
Hudson Valley (N.Y.) CC47989
Mohawk Valley (N.Y.) CC81010
Suffolk County (N.Y.) CC911
Brookdale (N.J.) CC12
Herkimer County (N.Y.) CC13
Georgia Military101014
SUNY Erie15

USTFCCCA NJCAA Division III Cross Country

2023 Rankings & Polls Calendar
Weeks National Coaches' Ranking KEY DATES
Week 1Wed 9/20
MEN | WOMEN
Week 2Wed 10/4
MEN | WOMEN
Week 3Wed 10/18
MEN | WOMEN
Week 4Wed 11/1
MEN | WOMEN
FINAL Results
(official final ranking)
Sat 11/11
MEN | WOMEN