2023 NCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 3
NEW ORLEANS – It’s the eye of the storm.
The first major weekend of the collegiate cross country season was two weeks ago and the biggest weekend is next week. That’s why we didn’t see too many monumental changes to the most recent NCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll that was released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
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
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
5
North Carolina
North Carolina
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Nothing shifted among the top-5, top-10 or top-14 teams in Week 3. Notable results were turned in by No. 4 Wisconsin and No. 9 Notre Dame: the Badgers ran roughshod over the competition at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational in Chicago, scoring just 49 points behind a 1-2 finish by Bob Liking and Jackson Sharp; the Irish emerged victorious at their own Joe Piane Invitational, though were tested by now No. 19 Florida State in an 87-95 triumph.
Speaking of the Seminoles, they matched their best ranking since 2021 – which is the highest they’ve been in the National Coaches’ Poll since 2014. Florida State saw two athletes finish in the top-10 this past weekend: David Mullarkey (fifth) and Abdirizak Ibrahim (ninth).
Elsewhere in the top-30, Alabama jumped five spots to a season-high No. 22 following a third-place effort in South Bend, Indiana. The Crimson Tide got a 2-3 finish by Hillary Cheruiyot and Victor Kiprop and will continue to find depth to propel itself higher in the rankings.
Iona went from unranked to No. 25. The Gaels were a clear runner-up to Wisconsin at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational and sent three runners across in the top-25. Iona is the second team in 2023 to go from unranked to ranked, joining Cal Poly from last week, which is now No. 28.
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.
