2024 NJCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 3
NEW ORLEANS – Just three points separated the top-2 teams in the Week 3 edition of the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
National Coaches’ Polls are presented by AthleticNET.
NJCAA Division I — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Salt Lake (Utah) CC
Salt Lake (Utah) CC
2
Iowa Western CC
Iowa Western CC
3
El Paso (Texas) CC
El Paso (Texas) CC
4
Butler (Kan.) CC
Butler (Kan.) CC
5
Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Salt Lake (Utah) CC regained the top spot it last held in the preseason poll while collecting six first-place votes. The Bruins were impressive competing among four-year programs at last week’s Bill Dellinger Invitational (taking sixth place) after The Master’s (Calif.) Invitational a week earlier (fourth). Defending NCAA DI Cross Country individual champion JaQuavious Harris led Salt Lake at Dellinger in earning M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week honors.
After two polls at No. 1, Iowa Western CC dropped to No. 2 and received the remaining four first-place votes. The Reivers – and three-time M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week Geofrey Ronoh – have been not competed the last two weeks.
El Paso (Texas) CC continues at No. 3. The Tejanos have not competed the last two weeks.
Butler (Kan.) CC remains No. 4. The Grizzlies won the Tiger Preview at Cowley (Kan.) on the course that will host the NJCAA Region 6 and KJCCC Championships later this month. Emmanuel Otim led a 1-6-8-11-12 finish for the Grizzlies in earning his third victory in four races this fall.
Holding steady at No. 5 is Hutchinson (Kan.) CC. The Blue Dragons were third behind No. 6 Crowder (Mo.) at the Tiger Preview meet, but were without the services of top runner Dennis Cheruiyot.
Completing the top-10 are a tie at No. 6 among Crowder (Mo.) and New Mexico JC, No. 8 Central Arizona, No. 9 Iowa Central CC and No. 10 Odessa (Texas), the latter making its first-ever top-10 appearance since the poll began in 2017.
There’s just over three weeks until the 2024 NJCAA Division I Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday, November 9, at Pole Green Park near Richmond, Virginia.
