2024 NJCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 3

NEW ORLEANS – Four programs received at least one first-place vote in the Week 3 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
Lansing (Mich.) CC
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC
Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC
1
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
2
Lansing (Mich.) CC
3
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
4
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC
5
Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC
Cross Country Polls & Rankings

Mesa (Ariz.) CC continues at No. 1, earning six of the 12 first-place votes. The Thunderbirds were the leading NJCAA DII program at the CAMPY Invitational a week ago, with Cal Schnepf leading the team for the first time.

Moving up for the fourth-straight poll is defending champion Lansing (Mich.) CC, now No. 2 while collecting four first-place votes. The Stars won the Muskegon Jayhawk Invitational a week after an impressive 16th-place among 30 four-year schools in the Live in Lou Classic’s Blue Division. A pair of Lansing freshmen – Jesse Carson at Muskegon, Logan Zahn at Live in Lou – split time with team honors as well as being the last two M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week.

Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC dropped a notch to No. 3 and earned one first-place vote. The Pumas have not competed the last two weeks.

Climbing up to No. 4 is Wallace State (Ala.) CC in receiving the final first-place votes. The Lions were 12th as the only JUCO squad in the Royals Challenge as Luke Kennedy continues to lead the team.

Also rising up a spot is Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC to No. 5, it highest-ever showing. The Bears won the Indian Hills Invitational on the same course in Ottumwa, Iowa, that will host the upcoming Region 11 and ICCAC Championships. Jordan King’s third-place finish (tops among NJCAA DII runners) leg all five DMACC scorers in the top-10.

Rounding out the top-10 teams are No. 6 Daytona State (Fla.), No. 7 Cowley (Kan.), No. 8 Bismarck State (N.D.), No. 9 NorthWest Arkansas CC and No. 10 Southeastern (Iowa) CC.

There’s just over three weeks until the 2024 NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday, November 9, at Pole Green Park near Richmond, Virginia.

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

2024 Week 3 - October 16th

RANK TEAM & INFOPTSCHANGE
1 mesa-ariz-cc MESA (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1
Dan Pescador (10th)
230
(6 fpv)
◀▶
(LW: 1)
2 lansing-mich-cc LANSING (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Jim Robinson (16th)
219
(4 fpv)
▲ 1
(LW: 3)
3 paradise-valley-ariz-cc PARADISE VALLEY (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1
David Barney (29th)
213
(1 fpv)
▼ 1
(LW: 2)
4 wallace-state-hanceville-ala-cc WALLACE STATE-HANCEVILLE (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Tony Crider (1st)
205
(1 fpv)
▲ 1
(LW: 5)
5 des-moines-area-iowa-cc DES MOINES AREA (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Michael Melchert (5th)
189 ▲ 1
(LW: 6)
6 daytona-state-fla DAYTONA STATE (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Judy Wilson (7th)
185 ▼ 2
(LW: 4)
7 cowley-kan COWLEY (KAN.)
West Region
Region 6
Cameron Rieth (7th)
178 ◀▶
(LW: 7)
8 bismarck-state-n-d BISMARCK STATE (N.D.)
West Region
Region 13
Julia Hammerschmidt (1st)
159 ◀▶
(LW: 8)
9 northwest-arkansas-cc NORTHWEST ARKANSAS CC
West Region
Region 2
Josphat Boit (4th)
146 ◀▶
(LW: 9)
10 southeastern-iowa-cc SOUTHEASTERN (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Lucas Keifer (5th)
126 ◀▶
(LW: 10)
11 allen-kan-cc ALLEN (KAN.) CC
West Region
Region 6
Vince Degrado (14th)
92 NR
11 mott-mich-cc MOTT (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Nathan Elston (1st)
92 ▲ 3
(LW: 14)
13 st-clair-county-mich-cc ST. CLAIR COUNTY (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Andrea Rheaume (3rd)
76 ▲ 4
(LW: 17)
14 heartland-ill-cc HEARTLAND (ILL.) CC
Midwest Region
Region 24
CJ Hamilton (1st)
69 ▼ 3
(LW: 11)
15 grand-rapids-mich-cc GRAND RAPIDS (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Sharon Becker (4th)
57 ◀▶
(LW: 15)
16 pasco-hernando-fla PASCO-HERNANDO (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Lee Rietsma (3rd)
53 ▼ 3
(LW: 13)
17 north-iowa-area-cc NORTH IOWA AREA CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Steven Story (3rd)
47 ▲ 1
(LW: 18)
18 northeast-alabama-cc NORTHEAST ALABAMA CC
Central Region
Region 22
Patrick Laney (2nd)
43 ▼ 2
(LW: 16)
19 calhoun-ala-cc CALHOUN (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Dante Dorsey (1st)
34 ▲ 1
(LW: 20)
20 macomb-mich-cc MACOMB (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Matt Fecht (3rd)
33 ▼ 8
(LW: 12)
21 marion-military-institute-ala MARION MILITARY INSTITUTE (ALA.)
Central Region
Region 22
Chad Balentine (6th)
23 NR
22 coastal-alabama-cc-north COASTAL ALABAMA CC-NORTH
Central Region
Region 22
Misti Nims (2nd)
13 ◀▶
(LW: 22)
23 coconino-ariz-cc COCONINO (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1
Craig Hunt
12 ▲ 1
(LW: 24)
24 southeast-neb-cc SOUTHEAST (NEB.) CC
West Region
Region 9
Phillip Duncan (3rd)
11 ▼ 4
(LW: 20)
25 muskegon-mich-cc MUSKEGON (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Nick Macinkowski (4th)
6 ◀▶
(LW: 25)

Also Receiving Votes: Southwestern (Iowa) CC 5, Jacksonville (Texas) 3, Florida Gateway 1

Dropped Out: No. 19 Sauk Valley (Ill.) CC, No. 22 Florida Gateway



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