2025 NCAA DII Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Week 6

NEW ORLEANS – The cross country postseason. What a glorious time of year. 

Here is the Week 6 edition of the NCAA DII Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings for the 2025 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 Saturday, November 8.

Atlantic Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Charleston (W.Va.), No. 2 Shippensburg, No. 3 Davis & Elkins

Also in the Hunt: No. 4 East Stroudsburg, No. 5 Kutztown

Notes: It was muddy. It was hilly. But that didn’t change the outcome at the PSAC Championships. No. 2 Shippensburg is hitting their stride at the right time, handling conference foes No. 4 East Stroudsburg and No. 5 Kutztown with ease. The Raiders tallied 40 points, going 2-4-6-8-20, with their No. 5, Ramon Urena, sprinting to a 26 second personal best. Over at the MEC, No. 1 Charleston (W.Va.) put on a show. The Golden Eagles were one man away from a perfect score, closing out the conference with a 1-2-3-4-17 finish ahead of defending champions No. 3 Davis & Elkins. 

Central Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Northwest Missouri, No. 2 Pittsburg State, No. 3 Washburn

Also in the Hunt: No. 4 East Central (Okla.), No. 5 Augustana (S.D.)

Notes: The top three teams in the Central Region entered the MIAA Championships in a winner-take-all situation. In the end it was… anticlimactic. No. 1 Northwest Missouri beat No. 2 Pittsburg State 54-65, who in turn took down No. 3 Washburn 65-77, as was predicted from the last set of rankings. No upset notifications here. No. 4 East Central (Okla.) and No. 5 Augustana (S.D.) took care of their own business at the GAC and NSIC Championships, each securing team titles. 

East Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Southern Connecticut State, No. 2 Roberts Wesleyan, No. 3 Franklin Pierce

Also in the Hunt: No. 4 Saint Miachael’s, No. 5 Daemen

Notes: The NE10 Championships – an East Regional precursor. In rather dominating fashion, No. 1 Southern Connecticut State emerged victorious over No. 3 Franklin Pierce and No. 4 Saint Michael’s for a fourth consecutive title. The Owls placed five runners in the top-10, including the individual winner Jonathan Volpe, for a sum of 23 points. The mad dash for second went to the Ravens who flew past The Purple Knights 78-83. No. 2 Roberts Wesleyan collected the ECC Championship trophy, but No. 5 Daemen made it a right battle, coming within 14 points of an upset. 

Midwest Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Grand Valley State, No. 2 Saginaw Valley State, No. 3 Lewis

Also in the Hunt: No. 4 Walsh, No. 5 Ashland

Notes: Grand Valley State and GLIAC Championships. They go hand and hand. The No. 1 Lakers took home the trophy for the 23rd time, defeating No. 2 Saginaw Valley State 17-50. Nick McArdle proved to be The Cardinals saving grace, breaking up the perfect score with a fourth place finish. A relatively easy win for No. 3 Lewis at the GLVC segways into a rather impressive performance by No. 4 Wash at the GMAC Championships. Led by freshman David D’Altorio, the Cavaliers put four guys in the top-10 to reign victorious over No. 5 Ashland. 

South Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Lee (Tenn.), No. 2 Florida Southern, No. 3 Alabama-Huntsville

Also in the Hunt: No. 4 Embry-Riddle (Fla.), No. 5 Mississippi College

Notes: What better way to kick-off the postseason than setting a new conference record for the lowest team score. Let’s ask Lee (Tenn.) about it. The Flames are hot as can be, as they averaged 24:00 over 8k to win the Gulf South Coast Conference Championship with a measly 21 points. Ahmed Ibrahim kept things close-ish for No. 3 Alabama-Huntsville, securing the individual title. The Chargers 4-5 gap hurt them in the long run, but 57 points proved to be enough to beat No. 5 Mississippi College. It was a similar tale at the Sunshine State Conference Championships, albeit, without the record. No. 2 Florida Southern ran away with the win, besting No. 4 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 31-60.

South Central Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Adams, No. 2 Colo. School of Mines, No. 3 Colorado Christian

Also in the Hunt: No. 4 Western Colorado, No. 5 West Texas A&M

Notes: And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why they race. Adams State triumphed over Colo. School of Mines 32-41 at the RMAC Championships, flipping their South Central positions. The Grizzlies’ sent everyone out hard, hoping to hang on. Fortunately for the green and black, they did. The Orediggers were never able to bridge the gap, and thus, here we are. In preparation for the South Central Championships, No. 3 Colorado Christian sat their A-team. No. 4 Western Colorado on the other hand opted to throw their name in the hat. The Mountaineers put up a good fight, placing all five scorers in the top-16, but it wasn’t enough to phase the juggernauts. 

Southeast Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Wingate, No. 2 Anderson (S.C.), No. 3 Catawba

Also in the Hunt: Flagler, Augusta

Notes: On what might be tabbed the hardest conference course of the year, No. 1 Wingate did just enough to record another SAC title. A few hundred feet of elevation gain made for a gritty race where No. 2 Anderson (S.C.) came one point shy of the upset, falling 36-37. The Trojans 28 second spread is a notable tool for the soon to arrive Southeast Regional. No. 3 Catawba got caught in no man’s land. The Indians were 30 points short of the top two teams, but halved Lincoln Memorial’s score. To no one’s surprise, No. 4 Flagler and No. 5 Augusta went 1-2 at the PBC Championships. 

West Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Western Washington, No. 2 Chico State, No. 3 Cal Poly Pomona

Also in the Hunt: No. 4 Northwest Nazarene, No. 5 Alaska Anchorage

Notes: When Chico State executes their gameplan, they’re difficult to deal with. The Wildcats overtook the No. 1 spot in the West Region following their display at the CCAA Championships. With Damian Garcia back to tip-top shape, Chico State went 1-2-6-8-13. No. 3 Cal Poly Pomona mounted a healthy challenge, but the results told the rest of the story, with the Broncos dropping 30-36. No. 2 Western Washington captured first place at the GNAC Championships, making quick work of No. 4 Anchorage Alaska and No. 5 Northwest Nazarene. In a bounce back from the Lewis Crossover, the Vikings scored 37 points to the Seawolves 58 points and the Nighthawks 65 points.