2024 NJCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 1
NEW ORLEANS – Daytona State (Fla.) is No. 1 for the first time in program history in the Week 1 edition of the 2024 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).
National Coaches’ Polls are presented by AthleticNET.
NJCAA Division II — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Daytona State (Fla.)
Daytona State (Fla.)
2
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC
3
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
4
Lansing (Mich.) CC
Lansing (Mich.) CC
5
Bismarck State (N.D.)
Bismarck State (N.D.)
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Five teams earned at least one first-place vote, but Daytona State collected more than half with seven in jumping three positions. The Falcons’ previous best showing was No. 2 twice in 2021. Daytona State impressed as the top JUCO program among 47 teams from mostly four-year schools at the Southern Showcase. The Falcons are led by Evan Casterline, who was the M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week to open the year after winning the UCF Invitational.
Also moving up is Wallace State (Ala.) CC at No. 2, also a program best while receiving one first-place vote. The Lions were runner-up in the Montevallo Falcon Invitational, with Luke Kennedy leading the way with a third-place individual finish.
No. 3 Mesa (Ariz.) CC, which received two first-place votes, drops two rungs from its preseason No. 1. Nick Valle has led the Thunderbirds in both the Lori Fitzgerald Memorial and last week’s Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) Invitational.
Defending champion Lansing (Mich.) CC received a first-place vote and is up one spot to No. 4. A pair of freshmen – Logan Zahn and Nate Carmody – have split being the Stars’ top runner thus far.
Rocketing up 20 spots to a program-best No. 5 is Bismarck State (N.D.). The Mystics are led by current M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week Morgon Brindley.
Rounding out the top-10 teams are No. 6 Cowley (Kan.), No. 7 Pasco-Hernando (Fla.), No. 8 Mott (Mich.) CC, No. 9 NorthWest Arkansas CC and No. 10 Grand Rapids (Mich.) CC. Cowley was one of the five programs to receive a first-place vote in this poll.
The season culminates on Saturday, November 9, when the 2024 NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships will be held at Pole Green Park near Richmond, Virginia.
