2017 NCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 4
NEW ORLEANS – Northern Arizona and BYU proved themselves to be the class of NCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country this past weekend.
That’s why the Lumberjacks and Cougars are 1-2 in the most recent NCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Syracuse remained at No. 3 following an idle week, while Stanford and Arkansas come in at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
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NAU nabbed 11 of the 12 first-place votes after a dominant effort at the Louisville Sports Commission Cross Country Classic, formerly known as the Greater Louisville Classic. The Lumberjacks put four runners in the top-5 (Matthew Baxter and Tyler Day went 1-2) and scored a total of 19 points, the best score by a champion at that meet since at least 2010.
BYU wiped the floor with the competition at the Bill Dellinger Invitational in Springfield, Oregon this past weekend and received its best ranking in program history because of it. The Cougars vaulted from No. 6 to No. 2 after nearly sweeping the meet that included three teams ranked in the top-10 of last week’s National Coaches’ Poll. Clayton Young led the charge for BYU as its runners went 1-2-3-4 and took seventh place for a grand total of 17 points.
Southern Utah had never been in the top-10 of the National Coaches’ Poll before today. At the same time, the sixth-ranked Thunderbirds had never made a statement like they did this past weekend at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational. SUU nabbed the team title and did so quite easily as it handed former No. 4 Colorado – the runner-up – a 72-101 loss.
Furman was the “Best of the Rest” at the Cross Country Classic as it outpaced five other teams that were ranked in the top-30 of the Week 3 poll. The Paladins jumped from No. 12 to No. 10 and tied the best ranking in program history as it was No. 10 in Week 5 of 2015.
Colorado State rested up for the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational and moved up from No. 15 to No. 11, one spot shy of joining the top-10 for the first time since 2003. The Rams last raced two weeks ago at the Roy Griak Invitational, which they won.
Virginia Tech continues to rise as it went from No. 26 to No. 24 to No. 12 in a matter of four weeks. The Hokies have never been ranked in the top-15, yet here they are right in the thick of things. Virginia Tech took third place at the Cross Country Classic behind NAU and Furman and was led by Peter Seufer (16th) and Patrick Joseph (20th).
Utah State jumped back into the National Coaches’ Poll for the first time since 2001 thanks to a team title at the Paul Short Run. The now 27th-ranked Aggies upended former No. 17 Georgetown behind the individual win from National Athlete of the Week Dillon Maggard.
Several teams joined the poll for the first time this season in addition to Utah State: No. 23 Air Force and t-No. 25 Michigan.
There won’t be a poll next Tuesday because of a light weekend ahead of us, but it will return on October 17 following the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational and the Pre-National Invitational. Our preview of those meets will come out next Thursday.
