2024 NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Week 1

NEW ORLEANS – Let’s get to racing.

Here is the preseason edition of the NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings for the 2024 season, as released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Regional Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning teams’ strength with current season results (if applicable) in determining a rank-order of squad potential. Only USTFCCCA member programs are eligible to receive a ranking. Teams with provisional status within the region may be ranked.

Regional Championships Saturday is set for November 16.

East Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 MIT

Next in Line: No. 2 Tufts

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Colby, No. 4 Bowdoin, No. 5 WPI

Notes: Colby jumped from No. 8 all the way to No. 3 after beating Bowdoin head-to-head at the CBBT Opener. The Mules put their entire scoring lineup in the top-5 to win by 16 points.

Great Lakes Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 John Carroll

Next in Line: No. 2 Calvin

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Hope, No. 4 Trine, No. 5 Mount Union

Notes: Trine impressed across back-to-back meets to find themselves in the top-5. The Thunder beat several regional foes two weeks ago at the Franklin College Grizzly Invitational and then finished seventh in an NCAA DI and NCAA DII heavy Spartan Invitational at Michigan State.

Metro Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Rowan

Next in Line: No. 2 Haverford

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Moravian, No. 4 TCNJ, No. 5 Swarthmore

Notes: Moravian stood out this past weekend with a resounding victory at the Ospreay Open. The Greyhounds took down NCAA DI Seton Hall by 42 points and fellow Metro Region foe TCNJ by 51 points (The Lions placed third). Moravian put four runners in the top-10.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Johns Hopkins

Next in Line: No. 2 Carnegie Mellon

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Lebanon Valley, No. 4 Dickinson, No. 5 Salisbury

Notes: There were some major changes to the top-5 in Week 1. Johns Hopkins usurped Carnegie Mellon atop the rankings after a strong effort at the Salisbury Fall Classic two weeks ago. The Blue Jays stormed to victory with nine runners in the top-10. Lebanon Valley has been a revelation this early in the season, especially after winning the LVC Dutchmen Invitational.

Mideast Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 RPI

Next in Line: No. 2 Amherst

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Williams, No. 4 Middlebury, No. 5 St. Lawrence

Notes: None of the top-3 teams held their spots since the preseason. Both RPI and Amherst leapfrogged Williams after the first few weeks. RPI has yet to run this season, but Amherst beat Williams head-to-head at the Little 3 Invitational two weeks ago.

Midwest Region

Projected AQ: No.1 Wartburg

Next in Line: No. 2 North Central (Ill.)

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Washington (Mo.), No. 4 Loras, No. 5 UChicago

Notes: There were no changes to the top-5 teams in Week 1. Four of the top-5 teams posted dominant victories so far this season: Wartburg (two), North Central (Ill.), Loras and UChicago.

Niagara Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 SUNY Geneseo

Next in Line: No. 2 NYU

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 SUNY Brockport, No. 4 RIT, No. 5 Hamilton

Notes: Hamilton jumped two spots from No. 7 to No. 5.

North Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 UW-La Crosse

Next in Line: No. 2 UW-Whitewater

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 St. Olaf, No. 4 UW-Stout, No. 5 UW-Stevens Point

Notes: UW-Stevens Point cracked the top-5 for the first time this season after impressing at the Phoenix Open hosted by UW-Green Bay. The Pointers are said to be a young squad led by Logan Murphy, who PR’d in everything from the 1500 to the 10,000 meters this past outdoor season (Murphy was third in the 5000 meters at the WIAC Outdoor Championships).

South Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Lynchburg

Next in Line: No. 2 Emory

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Washington & Lee, No. 4 Oglethorpe, No. 5 Christopher Newport

Notes: Oglethorpe opened some eyes with its performance at the UNG XC Invitational. The Stormy Petrels won the meet with a 40-second spread between its No. 1 and No. 5 runners.

West Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Pomona-Pitzer

Next in Line: No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 George Fox, No. 4 Colorado College, No. 5 UC Santa Cruz

Notes: There were no changes to the top-5 in Week 1.