2024 NCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 5
NEW ORLEANS – Here is the newest edition of the 2024 NCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
National Coaches’ Polls are presented by AthleticNET.
NCAA Division II — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Wingate
Wingate
2
Colo. School of Mines
Colo. School of Mines
3
West Texas A&M
West Texas A&M
4
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
5
Western Colorado
Western Colorado
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
No surprises at No. 1 this week. Wingate remains the top team in the nation for a sixth consecutive poll. The Bulldogs are still riding high off the dominating performance they put together at the Paul Short Run, even managing to rack up a win at the Royals Challenge in the interim.
As for the rest, it was a more tumultuous ride.
Colo. School of Mines traded places with West Texas A&M on both a regional and national level in response to a victory at the Lewis XC Crossover, which drew fourteen ranked squads, three of which were in the top-10. Despite sitting their top three individuals, the Orediggers emerged triumphant by a considerable margin: 60 points to be exact. The Buffs are fixed at No. 3 after taking the weekend to rest.
Other teams who benefited from Saturday’s clash included No. 5 Grand Valley State and No. 11 Colorado Christian. The Lakers tallied a sixth place finish, beating a handful of ranked opponents with their starting roster at home. GVSU will have a fresh set of legs for the GLIAC Championships on October 26. The Cougars elected to run everyone and their approach resulted in a podium performance. Driven by Matthew Storer, Klay Grant, and Mateo Luna going 2-11-20, CCU jumped seven notches in the polls.
Augustana (S.D.) reached a season-high No. 24, surging six spots in one go. The Vikings have M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week Ryan Hartman to thank, as the senior won the Lewis XC Crossover outright in 23:43.2. Seeing how the UAH Chargers Invitational played out, the rankings’ committee elected to put Pittsburg State at No. 18. The Gorillas climbed four places after taking down Division I No. 29 Florida State.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 23, because that’s when the 2024 NCAA DII Cross Country Championships will be held at the Arcade Creek Cross Country Course in Sacramento, California.
