2025 NCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 4
NEW ORLEANS – What a weekend!
Here is the newest edition of the NCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The biggest weekend of the regular season shook up the national landscape, as ten teams jumped three or more spots and five new teams joined the top 30 in Week 4.
All USTFCCCA polls and rankings are presented by AthleticNET.
NCAA Division I — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Iowa State
Iowa State
2
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State
3
New Mexico
New Mexico
4
Virginia
Virginia
5
Colorado
Colorado
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
It’s what you have done for us lately versus what you’ve already done among the top teams.
The latter holds true for the top two programs: No. 1 Iowa State and No. 2 Oklahoma State. Despite resting six of its top seven runners from the Gans Creek Classic and finishing 27th at the Nuttycombe Invitational, the Cyclones remain unanimous No. 1. Coaches remembered what Iowa State looked like full strength back in September and saw no need to penalize the Ames-based program. The Cowboys, who opted to stay home this past weekend due to weather concerns surrounding the Pre-National Invitational in Columbia, Missouri, continue to work their top runners back into the mix and made it look easy in a controlled victory over Oral Roberts at its own Weis-Crockett Invitational.
Nuttycombe champion New Mexico closed the gap on Iowa State and Oklahoma State following its dominant showing in Wisconsin. Reigning M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week Habtom Samuel set a meet record in leading the Lobos to a near 100-point victory over 17 other nationally ranked programs, including No. 5 Colorado. New Mexico put four runners in the top 15: Samuel (first), Collins Kiprotich (sixth), Evans Kiplagat (ninth), and Vincent Chirchir (13th).
Panorama Farms champion Virginia held steady at No. 4, with the Buffaloes not far behind in fifth. Syracuse and Northern Arizona parlayed strong efforts in Wisconsin into five- and six-spot jumps, respectively. The Orange, now sixth, took third behind New Mexico and Colorado as one of three teams with multiple top-20 finishers. The Lumberjacks, now seventh, were a clear fourth in Wisconsin ahead of regional rival and reigning national champion BYU.
Washington State and Michigan State, sixth and seventh in Wisconsin, continue to climb the National Coaches’ Poll. The Cougars – led by Solomon Kipchoge and Evans Kirui – check in at No. 11 for their best ranking since reaching tenth in 1998. The Spartans, headlined by Riley Hough, move up to No. 13, their highest mark since 2017 when they went 11th.
Georgia nationally ranked in cross country? You better believe it. The Bulldogs captured the team title at the Pre-National Invitational over No. 19 Missouri and No. 24 Ole Miss, and vaulted from zero votes in the first three polls all the way to No. 20. Being ranked in cross country isn’t new territory for Georgia, but it hasn’t happened since 2013, when the Bulldogs were 29th in Week 7.
This past weekend was just an appetizer of what’s to come. Conference Championships Weekend is right around the corner, Regional Championships Friday follows two weeks later, and then comes the climactic 2025 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 22, in Columbia, Missouri.
