2024 NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Week 7

NEW ORLEANS – The postseason is the best season.

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, which is where one team from each region will automatically qualify for the upcoming NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships.

East Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Tufts

Next in Line: No. 2 MIT

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

Notes: Bowdoin leapfrogged Bates into the No. 3 spot after a head-to-head victory at the NESCAC Championships. The Polar Bears were sixth in the standings, 26 points clear of the Bobcats in seventh. Regional leader Tufts was fourth at the same meet this past weekend.

Great Lakes Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 John Carroll

Next in Line: No. 2 Calvin

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

Notes: John Carroll made routine work of the OAC Championships this past weekend, notching a 26-61 victory over Mount Union. Both Calvin and Hope competed at the MIAA Championships with the former earning a head-to-head victory over the latter to maintain its No. 2 position.

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: There were no changes to the top-5 in Week 7. Moravian more than proved itself with a perfect score at the Landmark Conference Championships, while Rowan reigned at the NJAC Championships, posting a 30-point victory over TCNJ in the process. Haverford and Swarthmore both competed at the Centennial Conference Championships and finished second and fourth, respectively.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Carnegie Mellon

Next in Line: No. 2 Johns Hopkins

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

Notes: Carnegie Mellon supplanted Johns Hopkins as the regional leader in Week 7. The Tartans took clear runner-up honors in a strong field at the UAA Championships behind Niagara No. 2 NYU, while the Blue Jays steamrolled the competition in the Centennial Conference.

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: There were no changes to the top-5 teams. Both RPI and Williams captured team titles at their respective conference championships: the Engineers won by 52 points at the Liberty League Championships; the Ephs eked out a one-point victory over Amherst at the NESCAC Championships (Williams went 1-9-20-22-24 compared to Amherst’s 4-7-17-19-30).

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: There were no changes to the top-5 teams, but top-ranked Wartburg and second-ranked North Central (Ill.) were their usual impressive selves at their respective conference championships. The Knights took the top-7 spots at the A-R-C Championships, while the Cardinals soared to their 50th consecutive CCIW title (Yes. We said 50 consecutive titles).

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 were no changes to the top-5 teams in Week 7, but both SUNY Geneseo and NYU turned in impressive efforts over the weekend. The Knights rolled at the SUNYAC Championships, as expected, while NYU topped the field at the UAA Championships.

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 Carthage

Notes: What you see in the North Region is what you saw at the WIAC Championships this past weekend – for the most part. The Eagles made quick work of the competition with 24 points, 31 fewer than UW-Whitewater and then there was a 50-point canyon to UW-Eau Claire. St. Olaf dominated at the MIAC Championships, going 2-3-4-5-9 for 23 points.

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 Oglethorpe

Notes: Lynchburg and Washington & Lee finished 1-2 at the ODAC Championships, while Emory was fourth at the UAA Championships. Berry and Oglethorpe were 1-2 at the SAAC Championships, separated by just nine points.

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 Whitworth

Notes: Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps went 1-2 at the SCIAC Championships, while George Fox reigned at the Northwest Conference Championships.