2023 NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 8
NEW ORLEANS – From hundreds to 32.
The field has been set for the 2023 NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships.
Now is time to find out who is favored to either win the national title or earn podium spots at Big Springs High School in Newville, Pennsylvania. Therefore, here is the newest edition of the NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, as released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
NCAA Division III — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
UW-La Crosse
UW-La Crosse
2
North Central (Ill.)
North Central (Ill.)
3
Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon
4
MIT
MIT
5
Wartburg
Wartburg
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
UW-La Crosse is the overwhelming pick by the electorate going into the NCAA Championship. The Eagles, who seek their fourth national title in program history, rolled to the team title at the North Region Championships this past weekend. UW-La Crosse put all five scoring athletes in the top-15 as they amassed just 33 points to beat then fourth-ranked UW-Whitewater by 37. Isaac Wegner, Ethan Gregg and Grant Mutthai finished 2-3-4 for the Eagles this past weekend.
North Central (Ill.) is expected to give UW-La Crosse a run for its money as the No. 2 team. The Cardinals, who last won a national title in 2018 (which is forever for them), rebuffed then-No. 6-now-No. 5 Wartburg, 49-55. Top-end depth provided enough cushion for North Central (Ill.), as Braden Nicholson, Max Svienty and Andrew Guimond were second, third and fifth.
Carnegie Mellon notched two first-place votes after a statement win at the Mid-Atlantic Region Championships. The Tartans, whose best finish at the NCAA Championships is sixth back in 1981, amassed a meager 19-point score in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, seeing runners finish 1-3-4-5-6. Gavin McElhennon of Johns Hopkins was the only athlete to keep CMU from a perfect score. Matthew Porter led the Tartans with the individual title in 24:40.0.
Three other regional champions also reside in the top-10: East champion (and defending national champion) MIT is No. 4; Mideast champion Williams is No. 7; West champion Pomona-Pitzer is No. 8; and South champion Lynchburg is No. 10.
You don’t want to miss the 2023 NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships THIS SATURDAY when they emanate from Big Springs High School in Newville, Pennsylvania.
