NEW ORLEANS – The winds of change are starting to blow.
Here is the newest edition of the 2024 NCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
National Coaches’ Polls are presented by AthleticNET.
NCAA Division II — Men’s Cross Country
This Week’s National Top Five
Wingate
Colo. School of Mines
East Central (Okla.)
West Texas A&M
Grand Valley State
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Steady as she goes has been Wingate’s mantra thus far this season. The top-ranked Bulldogs have yet to unleash their full potential, opting to play the waiting game instead. That all changes in two weeks at the Paul Short Invitational.
Colo. School of Mines put a nail in the No. 2 spot with its effort this past weekend at the Roadrunners Invitational. The Orediggers went 3-4-6-8-10 for 31 points, barely breaking a sweat on the way to a win.
East Central (Okla.) rested over the weekend in preparation for the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival and dropped to No. 3, while West Texas A&M and Grand Valley State held their spots at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
Further down, Biola (Calif.) shot up the polls to No. 15. The Eagles didn’t leave much room for debate about their new ranking, finishing sixth at the UC Riverside Invitational as the top NCAA DII squad. The cherry on top was beating two West Region foes – No. 20 Cal Poly Pomona and No. 29 Azusa Pacific – that were previously seated above them.
No. 23 Michigan Tech and No. 25 Washburn also saw slight upticks in their stock. The Huskies battled warm conditions at the Roy Griak Invitational, coming from behind to take down No. 30 Augustana (S.D.).
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.