2023 NJCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 4
NEW ORLEANS – A heated rivalry continues to take top billing in the latest NJCAA Division II Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
This is the final set of rankings before the 2023 NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, which are set for Saturday, November 11, at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama.
NJCAA Division II — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
2
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
3
Lansing (Mich.) CC
Lansing (Mich.) CC
4
Daytona State (Fla.)
Daytona State (Fla.)
5
Cowley (Kan.)
Cowley (Kan.)
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Defending national champion Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC regained the No. 1 spot for the first time since Week 1, collecting eight of a possible 12 first-place votes. The Pumas won the Region 1 Championships over Mesa (Ariz.) with 25 points as their 1-5 scorers finished within 16.6 of each other. Jaxon Zimmerman, who was third overall, was PVCC’s top runner for the first time this year.
Just four points behind at No. 2 is Mesa (Ariz.) CC in earning one first-place vote. The Thunderbirds – No. 1 in the last two polls – were second in the Region I Championships with 35 points and landed the first two individuals in Jorge Trujillo and Greyson Akers. Mesa’s best-ever finish at the NJCAA Championships is fourth, achieved in each of the last two years.
No. 3 for a third-straight poll is Lansing (Mich.) CC, which won the Region 12 Championships with 21 points over three other ranked teams in collecting three first-place votes. Michael Dennis won the individual title, earning his third M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week award this year. The Stars won the DII national title six times in the 1990s but their most recent title came in 2007, when they took home the DI crown.
Daytona State (Fla.) is No. 4 for a fourth-straight poll. The Falcons scored a perfect 15 points in winning the Region 8 Championships over three other ranked teams as Jared Falchook won individual honors overall, including DI athletes. Daytona State’s best finish at the national meet came in 2021, when they were runner-up.
Moving up two spots to No. 5 is Cowley (Kan.) in reaching its highest ranking since the Preseason poll, when they were No. 4. The Tigers won the Region 6 DII Championships, finishing runner-up overall among six DI-ranked programs as Miquel Cruz earned DII individual honors. Cowley won the DII national title in 2021, plus the DI title 2010.
Rounding out the top-10 teams are No. 6 Heartland (Ill.) CC, No. 7 Wallace State (Ala.) CC, No. 8 St. Clair County (Mich.) CC, No. 9 Allen (Kan.) CC and No. 10 Southwestern Michigan.
