2023 NJCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 2
NEW ORLEANS – Mesa (Ariz.) CC found a high-stakes conference matchup in their favor, rising to the top of the Week 2 NJCAA Division II Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
NJCAA Division II — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
2
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
3
Lansing (Mich.) CC
Lansing (Mich.) CC
4
Daytona State (Fla.)
Daytona State (Fla.)
5
Heartland (Ill.) CC
Heartland (Ill.) CC
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
It was national No. 1 vs. No. 2 at the Arizona CC Championships, and the DII programs were on – both beating nationally ranked NJCAA DI teams.
Mesa (Ariz.) CC claimed top prize – gaining 10 of 12 first-place votes in the process – as Jorge Trujillo led a Thunderbird foursome in the top-10 in topping NJCAA DI No. 6 Central Arizona.
Defending national champion Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC drops to No. 2 after two weeks at No. 1. Nathan Pestka led the Pumas and all NJCAA DII runners with third-place finish at the Arizona CC Championships
Lansing (Mich.) CC dropped a rung to No. 3 but showed their honor, finishing 24th as the only JUCO squad among 46 teams in the Blue Division of the Live in Lou Classic. The Stars garnered two first-place votes in the poll as Michael Dennis – a two-time M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week this year – led the way in 24th.
Repeating as No. 4 is Daytona State (Fla.), matching its highest since being No. 2 in Week 5 of 2021. The Falcons found a new No. 1 in freshman Evan Casterline, who joins three scorers returning from last year’s seventh-place team.
No. 5 remains Heartland (Ill.) CC to No. 5. Last year’s national runner-up, the Hawks saw Ben Huey earn M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week honors in leading a 1-2-3 at the Heartland Invitational as four freshmen helped the hosts score a mere 19 points.
Rounding out the top-10 teams are No. 6 Cowley (Kan.), No. 7 Wallace State (Ala.) CC, No. 8 St. Clair County (Mich.) CC, No. 9 Pasco-Hernando (Fla.) and No. 10 Coconino (Ariz.) CC.
The season culminates on Saturday, November 11, when the 2023 NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships will be held at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama.
