2021 NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 6
NEW ORLEANS – That’s more like it!
Here is the newest edition of the NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll for Week 6 of the 2021 season, as released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Wednesday. The top-5 teams might have stayed the same since Week 5 after handling business this past weekend, but after that, a plethora of changes!
NCAA Division III — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Wartburg
Wartburg
2
Pomona-Pitzer
Pomona-Pitzer
3
Williams
Williams
4
MIT
MIT
5
SUNY Geneseo
SUNY Geneseo
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Head-to-head competition between top-5 teams was en vogue this past weekend, as No. 1 Wartburg and No. 2 Pomona-Pitzer squared off at the Augustana Interregional Invitational and No. 3 Williams lined up against No. 4 MIT at the Connecticut College Invitational. Each of the higher-ranked squads in those instances picked up wins by less than 10 points: the Knights beat the Sagehens, 39-46; the Ephs took down the Engineers, 37-43.
John Carroll is back at No. 6 following a victory at the Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble. The Blue Streaks, behind Alex Phillip’s individual title, held off a strong challenge from No. 8 UW-Whitewater. JCU had a meager three-second spread between its second and fifth runners.
North Central (Ill.) and Otterbein, the third- and fourth-place teams from the Augustana Interregional Invitational, both saw their stock rise. The Illinois-based Cardinals jumped two spots from No. 12 to No. 12, while the Ohio-based Cardinals soared 10 spots from No. 22 to No. 12 to nearly crack the top-10 for just the second time in program history.
Middlebury and Lynchburg both improved their billing by four or more spots since Week 5. The Panthers, who finished a clear third at the Connecticut College Invitational, prowled their way to No. 14 for a four-spot improvement. The Hornets, who took runner-up honors at the Rowan Inter-Regional Border Battle behind No. 5 SUNY Geneseo, buzzed five spots to No. 15.
Three other programs made big moves in Week 6: Loras went from No. 25 to No. 17; Connecticut College went from No. 32 to No. 24 for its best ranking in program history; Vassar went from No. 35 to No. 28 to match its best ranking of the season and program history.
Tufts joined the National Coaches’ Poll at No. 31 after not being ranked, while George Fox and Dickinson made their way into the top-35 at No. 33 and No. 35, respectively, following a week where they were in the Land of Receiving Votes.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 20, because that’s when the 2021 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships will be held at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park in Louisville, Kentucky!
