2024 NJCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 2

NEW ORLEANS – A program familiar with a No. 1 ranking is back on top in the Week 2 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
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
Lansing (Mich.) CC
Daytona State (Fla.)
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC
1
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
2
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
3
Lansing (Mich.) CC
4
Daytona State (Fla.)
5
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC
Cross Country Polls & Rankings

Arizona grabs plenty of the attention with rivals Mesa (Ariz.) CC and Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC polling 1-2 after splitting battles the last two weeks.

Mesa is back to its preseason perch at No. 1 for the fourth time in program history. The Thunderbirds earned eight first-place votes to rise from No. 3 and were the top JUCO program at the UC Riverside Invitational two weeks ago before falling last weekend by three points to PVCC at the Arizona CCAC Championships. Jorge Trujillo was Mesa’s top runner at Riverside, while Nick Valle took team honors at ACCAC.

Paradise Valley earned three first-place votes and was the biggest mover in the entire poll, climbing 11 spots to No. 2. Jackson Bland has led the way, earning M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week honors for a runner-up finish at the UC Riverside Invitational before leading a 1-2 Puma finish with Nick Valle in winning the ACCAC Championships.

Rising to No. 3 is defending champion Lansing (Mich.) CC in receiving the lone other first-place vote. Jesse Carson and Nate Carmody went 1-2 in leading the Stars to victory in its own Lansing Invitational with 26 points, with freshmen scoring all of the points.

Previous No. 1 Daytona State (Fla.) drops the three places to No. 4. The Falcons haven’t raced since the last poll, with last weekend’s meet at Florida State canceled due to Hurricane Helene.

Wallace State (Ala.) CC is No. 5 after being No. 2 in the last poll. The Lions were the top JUCO team in both the Firehawk Invitational and Topper Trails Classic with Luke Kennedy earning team honors both times with ninth-place finishes

Completing the top-10 teams are No. 6 Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC, No. 7 Cowley (Kan.), No. 8 Bismarck State (N.D.), No. 9 NorthWest Arkansas CC and No. 10 Southeastern (Iowa) CC.

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.

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Presenting sponsor of USTFCCCA Polls and Rankings

USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II
Men's Cross Country National Coaches' Poll

2024 Week 2 - October 2nd

RANK TEAM & INFOPTSCHANGE
1 mesa-ariz-cc MESA (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1
Dan Pescador (10th)
231
(8 fpv)
▲ 2
(LW: 3)
2 paradise-valley-ariz-cc PARADISE VALLEY (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1
David Barney (29th)
224
(3 fpv)
▲ 11
(LW: 13)
3 lansing-mich-cc LANSING (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Jim Robinson (16th)
216
(1 fpv)
▲ 1
(LW: 4)
4 daytona-state-fla DAYTONA STATE (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Judy Wilson (7th)
209 ▼ 3
(LW: 1)
5 wallace-state-hanceville-ala-cc WALLACE STATE-HANCEVILLE (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Tony Crider (1st)
196 ▼ 3
(LW: 2)
6 des-moines-area-iowa-cc DES MOINES AREA (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Michael Melchert (5th)
155 ▲ 5
(LW: 11)
7 cowley-kan COWLEY (KAN.)
West Region
Region 6
Cameron Rieth (7th)
153 ▼ 1
(LW: 6)
8 bismarck-state-n-d BISMARCK STATE (N.D.)
West Region
Region 13
Julia Hammerschmidt (1st)
152 ▼ 3
(LW: 5)
9 northwest-arkansas-cc NORTHWEST ARKANSAS CC
West Region
Region 2
Josphat Boit (4th)
138 ◀▶
(LW: 9)
10 southeastern-iowa-cc SOUTHEASTERN (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Lucas Keifer (5th)
131 ▲ 6
(LW: 16)
11 heartland-ill-cc HEARTLAND (ILL.) CC
Midwest Region
Region 24
CJ Hamilton (1st)
113
(LW: RV)
12 macomb-mich-cc MACOMB (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Matt Fecht (3rd)
103 ▲ 3
(LW: 15)
13 pasco-hernando-fla PASCO-HERNANDO (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Lee Rietsma (3rd)
91 ▼ 6
(LW: 7)
14 mott-mich-cc MOTT (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Nathan Elston (1st)
65 ▼ 6
(LW: 8)
15 grand-rapids-mich-cc GRAND RAPIDS (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Sharon Becker (4th)
57 ▼ 5
(LW: 10)
16 northeast-alabama-cc NORTHEAST ALABAMA CC
Central Region
Region 22
Patrick Laney (2nd)
46 ▼ 2
(LW: 14)
17 st-clair-county-mich-cc ST. CLAIR COUNTY (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Andrea Rheaume (3rd)
39 ▲ 4
(LW: 21)
18 north-iowa-area-cc NORTH IOWA AREA CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Steven Story (3rd)
35 ▲ 2
(LW: 20)
19 sauk-valley-ill-cc SAUK VALLEY (ILL.) CC
Midwest Region
Region 4
Nick Hartz (8th)
32
(LW: RV)
20 southeast-neb-cc SOUTHEAST (NEB.) CC
West Region
Region 9
Phillip Duncan (3rd)
30 ▼ 2
(LW: 18)
20 calhoun-ala-cc CALHOUN (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Dante Dorsey (1st)
30 ▼ 3
(LW: 17)
22 florida-gateway FLORIDA GATEWAY
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Edward Morse (1st)
21 NR
22 coastal-alabama-cc-north COASTAL ALABAMA CC-NORTH
Central Region
Region 22
Misti Nims (2nd)
21 ▼ 11
(LW: 11)
24 coconino-ariz-cc COCONINO (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1
Craig Hunt
18 ▼ 5
(LW: 19)
25 muskegon-mich-cc MUSKEGON (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Nick Macinkowski (4th)
12 ▼ 3
(LW: 22)

Also Receiving Votes: Moraine Valley (Ill.) CC 2

Dropped Out: No. 23 UA Rich Mountain (Ark.), No. 24 Marion Military Institute (Ala.), No. 25 Enterprise State (Ala.) CC



Week-by-Week Ranking

TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2Week #3Week #4FINAL
Lansing (Mich.) CC543221
Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC7116512
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC825433
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC3132354
Mesa (Ariz.) CC131145
Daytona State (Fla.)414666
Bismarck State (N.D.)25588117
Cowley (Kan.)267778
NorthWest Arkansas CC2199989
Macomb (Mich.) CCRV151220910
Heartland (Ill.) CC6RV11141311
St. Clair County (Mich.) CC112117131212
Pasco-Hernando (Fla.)13713162013
Grand Rapids (Mich.) CC221015151514
Mott (Mich.) CCRV814111615
Sauk Valley (Ill.) CC23RV192516
Southeastern (Iowa) CC101610101017
Calhoun (Ala.) CCRV1720192118
Northeast Alabama CC161416181819
Southeast (Neb.) CC18202420
Lake-Sumter State (Fla.)18RV2521
Southwestern (Iowa) CCRVRV1922
North Iowa Area CC202018171723
Florida State-JacksonvilleRV24
State Fair (Mo.)1925
Coastal Alabama CC-North171122222226
Marion Military Institute (Ala.)9242127
Jacksonville (Texas)RV2428
Enterprise State (Ala.) CC2529
UA Rich Mountain (Ark.)RV232330
Pellissippi State (Tenn.) CCRV31
Florida Gateway22RV32
Muskegon (Mich.) CC1422252533
Southern Union State (Ala.) CC34
Walters State (Tenn.) CC35
Murray State (Okla.)36
Kaskaskia (Ill.)37
Cleveland (N.C.) CC38
Delaware Tech CC39
Northeast Mississippi CC40
Jefferson State (Ala.) CC41
Allen (Kan.) CC121114
Coconino (Ariz.) CC15192423
Moraine Valley (Ill.) CCRVRV
Southwestern MichiganRVRV
Shelton State (Ala.) CCRV
Kirtland (Mich.) CCRV
Gadsden State (Ala.) CC24
Waubonsee (Ill.) CCRV

USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II Cross Country

2024 Rankings & Polls Calendar
Weeks National Coaches' Poll KEY DATES
PreseasonWed 9/4
MEN | WOMEN
Week 1Wed 9/18
MEN | WOMEN
Week 2Wed 10/2
MEN | WOMEN
Week 3Wed 10/16
MEN | WOMEN
Week 4Wed 10/30
MEN | WOMEN
Sat., Nov. 9 - NJCAA Championships (Richmond, Va.)
FINAL Results
(official final ranking)
Sat 11/9
MEN | WOMEN