2021 NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three different teams continued to receive first-place votes in the NAIA Men’s Cross Country Poll, when the most recent edition was released on Thursday by the NAIA National Office.
NAIA — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Indiana Wesleyan
Indiana Wesleyan
2
Saint Mary (Kan.)
Saint Mary (Kan.)
3
St. Francis (Ill.)
St. Francis (Ill.)
4
Milligan (Tenn.)
Milligan (Tenn.)
5
Taylor (Ind.)
Taylor (Ind.)
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Indiana Wesleyan held steady at No. 1 for the third week in a row. The Wildcats, who hauled in 13 of the 19 first-place votes in Week 3, raced to a perfect score at the Bethel XC Invitational this past weekend and swept the top-7 spots.
Saint Mary (Kan.) remained No. 2 for yet another week. The Spires, who earned four of the outstanding six first-place votes, finished a strong fourth at the Fort Hays State Tiger Open this past weekend, just 15 points out of third place. Johnathan Bowen led Saint Mary’s charge with a runner-up finish and was named National Athlete of the Week for his efforts.
St. Francis (Ill.) cemented its spot at No. 3. The Saints, who snagged the final two first-place votes from the electorate, finished fifth at the Bethel XC Invitational this past weekend and took 11th place at the Live in the Lou Cross Country Classic two weeks ago.
Very little changed in the rest of the top-10, as No. 4 Milligan (Tenn.), No. 5 Taylor (Ind.), No. 6 The Master’s (Calif.), No. 7 Oklahoma City, No. 8 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), No. 9 Oregon Tech didn’t budge. Cornerstone (Mich.) leapfrogged Huntington (Ind.) into the top-10 spot (The Foresters dropped to No. 11).
Mark your calendars for Friday, November 19, because that’s when the 2021 NAIA Cross Country Championships will be held at the Fort Vancouver Historic Site in Vancouver, Washington.
