2024 NCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 1
NEW ORLEANS – If they’re racing, they’re ranking.
Sometimes there aren’t many changes in the top-10 of the NCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, like as released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) but the same can’t be said for the rest of the top-30.
National Coaches’ Polls are presented by AthleticNET.
NCAA Division II — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Wingate
Wingate
2
East Central (Okla.)
East Central (Okla.)
2
Colo. School of Mines
Colo. School of Mines
4
West Texas A&M
West Texas A&M
5
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Until proven otherwise, Wingate has the No. 1 spot on lockdown. The Bulldogs have yet to debut the lineup they used to secure the NCAA title last year, but are scheduled to do so on Oct. 5 at the Paul Short Invitational. Things get a little dicey at the No. 2 where East Central (Okla.) is now joined by Colo. School of Mines. Just below, West Texas A&M and Grand Valley State are holding steady at the No. 4 and No. 5 positions after an idle weekend. As one may say, it’s the calm before the storm.
The Week 1 developments primarily derived from the No. 9, No. 10, and No. 11 slots, where a fresh batch of contenders emerged in Lewis, Western Washington, and Augusta, respectively. The Flyers are at their highest ranking since 2001 when they cracked the top-5, while the Vikings worked their way into the top-10 following a solid performance at the Gator Cross that resulted in a 16-second spread between their 1-5. The Jags beat up on several Division I teams at the Fire Power Project to capture a second place finish behind host Appalachian State, confirming their depth is no joke.
Colorado Christian and UC-Colorado Springs both hurdled three spots to earn the No. 15 and No. 20 positions. The Cougars took care of business at the Gage McSpadden Invite while the Mountain Lions cruised to victory at their own UCCS Rust Buster.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 23, because that’s when the 2024 NCAA DII Cross Country Championships will be held at the Arcade Creek Cross Country Course in Sacramento, California.
