2025 NJCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Ranking – Preseason
NEW ORLEANS – Region 4 is prominent in the preseason edition of the 2025 NJCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Ranking, released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The 2025 NJCAA Division III Cross Country Championships are set to take place at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Saturday, November 8.
National Coaches’ Rankings are presented by AthleticNET.
NJCAA Division III — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
DuPage (Ill.)
DuPage (Ill.)
2
Joliet (Ill.) JC
Joliet (Ill.) JC
3
Harper (Ill.)
Harper (Ill.)
4
Onondaga (N.Y.) CC
Onondaga (N.Y.) CC
5
Kellogg (Mich.) CC
Kellogg (Mich.) CC
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Region 4’s dominance at the top is not unusual as the last four titles have been won by a trio who annually are among the national contenders.
DuPage (Ill.) returned to the top last year after last winning in 2022. The Chaps – the only program to be top-3 in each of the last four years – look to be led the only returning member of that squad in Jack Schultz (fourth). David Aviles, an All-American in the 10,000 last spring, is also viewed as one of this year’s leaders.
No. 2 Joliet (Ill.) JC was third last year after last winning in 2021. The Wolves return their top-4, with national individual champion Nathan Ciarlette being joined by another top-10 finisher in Gavin Carlson (seventh).
Harper (Ill.) is No. 3. The Hawks – national runner-up by six points last year after winning the title in 2023 – return two in Jerome Graessle (14th) and Michael Johnson (20th), but its cross country group gains Ryan Golden, who placed third and fourth in the 1500 and 5000, respectively, in the NJCAA DIII Outdoor Championships.
No. 4 Onondaga (N.Y.) CC was fourth last year, and the Blazers look to be led again by Paul Clark, who was fifth individually last year.
Kellogg (Mich.) CC is No. 5 after finishing fifth last year. The Bruins will be led by Julian Borst, who finished sixth last year.
Completing the top-10 are No. 6 Mineral Area (Mo.), No. 7 Suffolk County (N.Y.) CC, No. 8 RCSJ Gloucester (N.J.), No. 9 Patrick & Henry (Va.) CC and No. 10 Thadeus Stevens (Pa.).
