2024 NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Week 6

NEW ORLEANS – That’s more like it.

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 Tufts

Next in Line: No. 2 MIT

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

Notes: Welcome to the top of the East Region, Tufts. The Jumbos usurped MIT as the favorite to win the regional title thanks to a head-to-head victory over the Engineers at the Connecticut College Invitational this past weekend. This is the first time since 2012 that Tufts has been ranked No. 1 in the region.

Great Lakes Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 John Carroll

Next in Line: No. 2 Calvin

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Mount Union, No. 4 Hope, No. 5 Case Western Reserve

Notes: John Carroll leapfrogged Calvin into the driver’s seat. The Blue Streaks posted a strong fourth-place finish at the Mike Woods Invitational behind top-10 programs SUNY Geneseo, RPI and Carnegie Mellon, while the Knights were 16th at the Augustana (Ill.) Interregional Invitational.

Metro Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Moravian

Next in Line: No. 2 Rowan

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

Notes: Rowan, Haverford and Swarthmore all raced at the Rowan Interregional Border Battle this past weekend and finished in that order. The Profs took fourth at their home meet with the Fords and the Garnet ended up fifth and sixth, respectively.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Johns Hopkins

Next in Line: No. 2 Carnegie Mellon

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

Notes: Johns Hopkins and Carnegie Mellon hold the top-2 spots for the seventh week in a row, while Dickinson, Lebanon Valley and Marywood continue to battle for Nos. 3 to 5.

Mideast Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 RPI

Next in Line: No. 2 Williams

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Amherst, No. 4 Middlebury, No. 5 Wesleyan (Conn.)

Notes: RPI cemented its spot atop the Mideast Region with a strong runner-up finish at the Mike Woods Invitational this past weekend, while the rest of the group battled it out at the Connecticut College Invitational. Williams finished third in Waterford with Amherst fourth, Middlebury fifth and Wesleyan (Conn.) a ways back in 15th place.

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 Augustana (Ill.)

Notes: Wartburg beat North Central (Ill.) head-to-head at the Augustana (Ill.) Interregional Invitational this past weekend, while Loras and Augustana (Ill.) both leapfrogged UChicago into the No. 4 and No. 5 spots, respectively based off their efforts in Rock Island, Illinois.

Niagara Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 SUNY Geneseo

Next in Line: No. 2 NYU

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 SUNY Brockport, No. 4 Hamilton, No. 5 Rochester (N.Y.)

Notes: There was only one change to the top-5 as Rochester (N.Y.) joined the fun, but you better believe everybody was racing this past weekend. Both SUNY Geneseo and NYU secured convincing victories this past weekend: the Knights topped a talented field at the Mike Woods Invitational that featured three top-10 teams; the Violets reigned at the Connecticut College Invitational that saw eight ranked teams compete.

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-Eau Claire, No. 5 UW-Stevens Point

Notes: UW-La Crosse made quick work of the competition at its own Jim Drews Invitational, while UW-Whitewater took third at the Augustana Interregional Invitational and St. Olaf was a strong runner-up at the Connecticut College Invitational. The Oles are poised to make a big jump in the National Coaches’ Poll after finishing just 15 points back of meet champion MIT.

South Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Lynchburg

Next in Line: No. 2 Washington & Lee

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Emory, No. 4 Berry, No. 5 Christopher Newport

Notes: Lynchburg and Washington & Lee battled each other at the Rowan Interregional Border Battle this past weekend. The Hornets triumphed by seven points with their 49-56 win over the Generals. Both Lynchburg and Washington & Lee put four runners in the top-15, but it was the all-important fifth runner that made all the difference in the team score.

West Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Pomona-Pitzer

Next in Line: No. 2 George Fox

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, No. 4 UC Santa Cruz, No. 5 Colorado College

Notes: There were no changes to the top-5 teams in Week 6, however, Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps raced at the Pomona-Pitzer XC Invitational and finished in that order atop the standings, just three points separating the two rivals.