2024 NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Preseason

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Defending champion Milligan (Tenn.) opens the 2024 season at No. 1 in the preseason edition of the 2024 NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released on Thursday by the NAIA National Office.

NAIA — Men's Cross Country

This Week's National Top Five

1
Milligan (Tenn.)

2
Saint Mary (Kan.)

3
Cumberlands (Ky.)

4
Indiana Wesleyan

5
College of Idaho

Cross Country Polls & Rankings

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The Buffs, who edged Saint Mary (Kan.) by five points last November, earned all 20 first-place votes from the electorate. Bryn Woodall returns for his senior year and will lead Milligan’s charge in 2024.

Speaking of Saint Mary (Kan.), the Spires sit No. 2 to begin the season with last year’s third-place team Cumberlands (Ky.) at No. 3. Only six points separate those squads. Indiana Wesleyan climbed one spot to No. 4 from its fifth-place finish in 2023, while College of Idaho comes in at No. 5.

Here are the rest of the preseason top-10 teams: No. 6 The Master’s (Calif.), No. 7 Eastern Oregon, No. 8 Taylor (Ind.), No. 9 Dordt (Iowa) and No. 10 Montreat (N.C.).

Mark your calendar for Friday, November 22, because that’s when the 2024 NAIA Cross Country Championships will be held at Gans Creek Park in Columbia, Missouri.