2023 NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 5

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – All roads lead to Vancouver, Washington.

Here is the newest edition of the NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, as released on Tuesday by the NAIA National Office. Top teams handled business at various conference championships this past weekend and now focus their attention on the upcoming 2023 NAIA Cross Country Championships set for next Friday at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

NAIA — Men's Cross Country

This Week's National Top Five

1
Indiana Wesleyan

2
Milligan (Tenn.)

3
The Master's (Calif.)

4
Saint Mary (Kan.)

5
Eastern Oregon

Cross Country Polls & Rankings

NATIONAL POLL

CONFERENCE RANKINGS

View Women's Post

Indiana Wesleyan is the near unanimous favorite to win the Red Banner in the Evergreen State. The Wildcats imposed their will this past weekend at the Crossroads League Championships, as they put up a meager 19 points to decimate a field with several top-25 programs. M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week Colten Covington led the way with an individual title. IWU seeks its first national title in program history, as its best finish at the national meet is second.

Milligan, which captured the NAIA crown the last time the meet was held in Washington back in 2021, held off a strong challenge from Montreat (N.C.) to win the team title at the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championships. The Buffs are led by the talented trio of Bryn Woodall, Will Stockley and Aaron Jones. Woodall galloped to the individual title at the AAC Championships.

The Master’s (Calif.) is a standalone third going into the NAIA Championships. The Mustangs, whose best national finish is third, are brimming with confidence after a near perfect 18-point score at the GSAC Championships. The Master’s (Calif.) went 1-2-4-5 (and 6-8-9, for good measure) with Jack Anderson at the front of the pack in Central Park, California.

Saint Mary (Kan.) and Eastern Oregon are expected to make a run at the podium next week. The KCAC champion Spires and the CCC champion Mountaineers are separated by just two points in the final National Coaches’ Poll of the season. Saint Mary (Kan.) never finished higher than fifth at the NAIA Championships, while EOU placed as high as fourth once in program history.

Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 5: GPAC champion Dordt (Iowa) at No. 6, CCC runner-up College of Idaho at No. 7, Mid-South champion Cumberlands (Ky.) at No. 8, AAC runner-up Montreat (N.C.) at No. 9 and Crossroads League runner-up Taylor (Ind.) at No. 10. It should be noted that the sixth-ranked Defenders are the defending national champion.