2025 NJCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Ranking – Week 2
NEW ORLEANS – There were no changes among the top-4 teams in the Week 2 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
Harper (Ill.)
Harper (Ill.)
2
Joliet (Ill.) JC
Joliet (Ill.) JC
3
DuPage (Ill.)
DuPage (Ill.)
4
Thaddeus Stevens (Pa.)
Thaddeus Stevens (Pa.)
5
Mineral Area (Mo.)
Mineral Area (Mo.)
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Region 4 still dominates the top-3, which is no surprise since one of their three programs has won the last four titles with the other two among the contenders.
Harper (Ill.) remains No. 1 despite finishing behind No. 2 Joliet (Ill.) JC at the Olivet Nazarene Midwest Classic by two points, 166-168. The Hawks, however, won a hypothetical head-to-head, 25-32. The main reason for the difference is Nathan Ciarlette, Joliet’s top runner who has been the top JUCO athlete in all three of his races this year – and so far ahead of other NJCAA DIII runners that many non-NJCAA DIII runners alter scoring in a way that can’t happen in a race involving only NJCAA DIII competitors. Ryan Golden holds a 2-1 edge as Harper’s leading runner over Sebastian Welc, the latter having earned M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week honors on Sept. 15.
Preseason No. 1 DuPage (Ill.) is not to be forgotten. The Chaps have yet to meet either Harper or Joliet this year, but they’re scheduled to line up against Joliet in the upcoming Seminole Valley Classic. Adriano Quintero has led DuPage in all three of their meets this year.
Thaddeus Stevens (Pa.) remains No. 4. In a recurring theme at a different meet, the Bulldogs were the top JUCO team at the Lock Haven Invitational with freshman Tristan Weaver finishing as the leading JUCO athlete.
Joining the top-5 for the first time this year is Mineral Area (Mo.) at No. 5. The Cardinals have been led in all four of their meets this year by freshman Lucas Campbell.
Completing the top-10 are No. 6 Kellogg (Mich.) CC, No. 7 Lorain County (Ohio) CC, No. 8 Brookdale (N.J.) CC, No. 9 Jefferson (Mo.) and No. 10 Monroe-Rochester (N.Y.) CC.
