2025 NCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 1
NEW ORLEANS – And so it begins.
The waiting game of course.
Here is the 2025 Week 1 edition of the NCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, as released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Wednesday. USTFCCCA polls and rankings are presented by AthleticNET.
While many of the country’s top programs have opened their seasons, others are patiently waiting for the right moment to strike. This week’s poll is a reflection of that as there is slight movement near the top with just a few big risers and fallers.
NCAA Division II — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Wingate
Wingate
2
Colo. School of Mines
Colo. School of Mines
3
Adams State
Adams State
4
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
5
Colorado Christian
Colorado Christian
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Wingate is perched at the No. 1 position, Pol Domenech and company biding their time at the top. This seems to be a trend with the Bulldogs the last few years. Dating back to 2022, their A-team has debuted at the Paul Short Run at the start of October. Last year they took home the College Gold Division title, besting a 44-team field that included the likes of Harvard (yes, THE Harvard Crimson), Navy, and Cornell.
If one thing is agreed upon, it’s that now is the time to hone in that summer training. Employing a similar strategy to Wingate, the No. 2 spot stays with Colo. School of Mines. The Orediggers will hit the course at the Roadrunners Invitational this weekend, which should be a good test of their depth.
No. 3 Adams State has been around the block before. The Grizzlies raced just about everyone at the Joe I. Vigil Open. That is, everyone but their top-5. Nevertheless, the 24:40 average and 34 second spread is still something to celebrate. And for those paying attention, international signee Jack Gumm made quite an impression in his first U.S. collegiate race, busting out 24:23 for a runner-up finish.
The approach from No. 4 Grand Valley State was a little more ambitious to say the least. The Lakers traveled up to the Spartan Invite and dove right in, not only taking on several Big Ten teams, but proceeding to beat them on a brisk Saturday morning. Koby Fraaza led the way, covering the course in 23:44.8 for second place, while his teammates notched another three top-20 finishes behind him. This gave the voters something to think about as GVSU sits just two points back in the overall tally from Adams State.
Colorado Christian is back to earth after a first class showing at the UCCS Rust Buster. The Cougars roared to a 25 point win in a coveted head-to-head matchup with No. 15 UC-Colorado Springs. M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week Matthew Storer looked like a force upfront, striding to a nine second victory. Putting all five in the top-10 – before the Mountain Lions managed a second across the line – proved a strong follow-up statement. The four spot surge up the polls leaves CCU tied with their highest ranking ever at No. 5.
Knocking on the top-five door is No. 6 Lee (Tenn.), which climbed six spots from No. 12. The Flames debuted part of their roster at the Southern Showcase and it paid off as their 1-4 gap leveled out at 14 seconds. That was while sitting Ryan Lovelace and Xian Campbell, who are predicted to be the two/five runners.
Rising at a rampant rate are No. 13 Cal Poly Pomona and No. 19 Fort Lewis. The Broncos jumped five spots following a lights-out performance at the Cougar Invitational that saw them go 1-2-4-6-7. The Skyhawks flew nine spots, shaving 22 seconds off their team average at the Joe I. Vigil Open between 2024 and 2025. For reference, CSU-Pueblo finished 14th at last year’s NCAA Championships with an average 12 seconds slower.
No. 7 Chico State, No. 8 Western Colorado, No. 9 East Central (Okla.), and No. 10 West Texas A&M round out the top-ten teams.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 22, because that’s when the 2025 NCAA DII Cross Country Championships will be held at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
