2023 NJCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 3
NEW ORLEANS – Just one point separated the top-2 teams in the latest NJCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
It will all be decided in just over three weeks at the 2023 NJCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, which will be held on Saturday, November 11, at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama.
NJCAA Division I — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
New Mexico JC
New Mexico JC
2
Salt Lake (Utah) CC
Salt Lake (Utah) CC
3
Trinidad State (Colo.)
Trinidad State (Colo.)
4
Colby (Kan.) CC
Colby (Kan.) CC
5
Southern Idaho
Southern Idaho
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
New Mexico JC repeats as No. 1 by the slimmest of margins as it collected four of the eight first-place votes. The T-Birds have been dominant since last poll, winning two home meets with their most recent victory – at the NMJC III Invitational – coming as four of the seven ranked Region V teams gathered at the site of the upcoming Region V Championships. Tomas Vega led the way at Harry McAdams Park with a course record 23:20.4 as twin brother German also beat the old mark.
History-making continued for Salt Lake (Utah) CC as the Bruins notched an all-time best ranking for the fourth time this season. Now at No. 2, the second-year program also earned its first-ever first-place votes – three of them. SLCC was impressive at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational, taking fifth among 16 teams (all of the rest being four-year programs). Freshman JaQuavious Harris was the Bruins’ top individual in fifth place, more than 30 seconds ahead of teammate Talon Rodriguez, a previous M-F National Athlete of the Week honoree.
No. 3 Trinidad State (Colo.) dropped a notch, but also received a first-place vote. The Trojans competed just once since the last poll – at the unscored UC-Colorado Springs Open. Kameron Eustace was Trinidad State’s top runner as the Trojans rested their top-2 of Kidus Misgina and Hanibal Haile.
Also dropping a rung is defending NJCAA DI champion Colby (Kan.) CC, now No. 4. The Trojans were the top JUCO program in taking third at the Platte River Rumble as Kgadi Monyebodi collected his third win in three races this year.
Rising up three spots to No. 5 is College of Southern Idaho, now at their best ranking since being No. 3 in Week 3 of 2021. The Golden Eagles have been led by Owen Rodgers (three times) and Jackson Pratt (twice) in their five races.
Rounding out the top-10 are No. 6 Iowa Western CC, No. 7 Indian Hills (Iowa) CC, No. 8 Northwest Kansas Tech, No. 9 Central Arizona and No. 10 El Paso (Texas) CC.
