Grizzly men have won three-straight NCAA cross country team crowns
August 24, 2011
NEW ORLEANS – On Wednesday, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its national team preseason rankings for the 2011 NCAA Division II cross country season. The men’s team of Adams State College was picked as the season’s first No. 1 team as the Grizzlies will be defending a three-peat of NCAA crowns. Western State was picked as the top-ranked team to begin the DII cross country season on the women’s side while defending champ Grand Valley State was chosen at No. 2.
Adams State has won the past three NCAA cross country titles and took last year’s event, 57-102, over nearest challenger current-No. 2 Western State. At last year’s snowy championships, Adams State placed five of their runners in the race’s top 25. Of that group, Craig Hugger and Keegan Calmes are expected to return along with Edwin Cruz and Nathaniel Sellers who were ASU’s six and seven, placing in the race’s top 35.
The preseason top six in the men’s rankings follow the exact order of finish from the 2010 NCAA Cross Country Championships as Grand Valley State stands at No. 3, followed by No.4 Colorado Mines, No. 5 Chico State, and No. 6 Augustana (S.D.).
The RMAC placed six men’s teams in the national top 25 to lead all conferences. Along with having three of the nation’s top four ranked teams, the RMAC has No. 17 Metro State, No. 21 New Mexico Highlands, and No. 23 Neb.-Kearney ranked in the preseason. The GLVC, GNAC, and PSAC follow with three teams in the top 25 apiece.
On the women’s side, Western State will begin the season as No. 1 following their runner-up team showing a year ago. The Mountaineers were second to current-No. 2 Grand Valley State at last year’s national championships, but return third-place finisher Lauren Kleppin and top-15 finisher Sara Lyle.
GVSU won their first NCAA cross country crown last season, stopping a seven-year win streak by Adams State. The Lakers graduated two top-ten national finishers, but return four that finished in the national top 35 a year ago. Chico State is ranked No. 3 while Adams State is at No. 4 and Alaska Anchorage takes the No. 5 post.
The PSAC with four women’s teams ranked, including No. 8 Shippensburg, No. 14 Edinboro, No. 19 Millersville, and No. 22 East Stroudsburg, leads all leagues in the category. The NSIC and GLIAC follow with three.
The NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday, November 19, in Spokane, Wash. NCAA Regional Championships will be held two weeks prior on the weekend of November 5.
USTFCCCA
NCAA Division II
Men's Cross Country National Team Rankings
2011 Preseason, August 24
next ranking: September 21
Rank
Institution
Region
Conference
Location
2010 FINAL
1
Adams State
Central
RMAC
Alamosa, Colo.
1
2
Western State
Central
RMAC
Gunnison, Colo.
2
3
Grand Valley State
Midwest
GLIAC
Allendale, Mich.
3
4
Colorado Mines
Central
RMAC
Golden, Colo.
4
5
Chico State
West
CCAA
Chico, Calif.
5
6
Augustana (S.D.)
Central
NSIC
Sioux Falls, S.D.
6
7
Southern Indiana
Midwest
GLVC
Evansville, Ind.
10
8
Lock Haven
Atlantic
PSAC
Lock Haven, Pa.
11
9
Edinboro
Atlantic
PSAC
Edinboro, Pa.
DNQ
10
Shippensburg
Atlantic
PSAC
Shippensburg, Pa.
7
11
UMass Lowell
East
Northeast-10
Lowell, Mass.
13
12
Alaska Anchorage
West
GNAC
Anchorage, Alaska
8
13
Queens (N.C.)
Southeast
Conf. Carolinas
Charlotte, N.C.
12
14
Central Missouri
South Central
MIAA
Warrensburg, Mo.
16
15
Metro State
Central
RMAC
Denver, Colo.
17
16
Bellarmine
Midwest
GLVC
Louisville, Ky.
22
17
East Central (Okla.)
South Central
Great American
Ada, Okla.
DNQ
18
Ashland
Midwest
GLIAC
Ashland, Ohio
DNQ
19
Western Washington
West
GNAC
Bellingham, Wash.
9
20
Stonehill
East
Northeast-10
Easton, Mass.
21
21
New Mexico Highlands
Central
RMAC
Las Vegas, N.M.
DNQ
22
Western Oregon
West
GNAC
Monmouth, Ore.
20
23
Neb.-Kearney
Central
RMAC
Kearney, Neb.
DNQ
24
Cal Poly Pomona
West
CCAA
Pomona, Calif.
DNQ
25
UW Parkside
Midwest
GLVC
Kenosha, Wis.
DNQ
teams ranked by T.J. Garlatz, Alaska Anchorage
USTFCCCA
NCAA Division II
Women's Cross Country National Team Rankings
2011 Preseason, August 24
next ranking: September 21
Rank
Institution
Region
Conference
Location
2010 FINAL
1
Western State
Central
RMAC
Gunnison, Colo.
2
2
Grand Valley State
Midwest
GLIAC
Allendale, Mich.
1
3
Chico State
West
CCAA
Chico, Calif.
5
4
Adams State
Central
RMAC
Alamosa, Colo.
3
5
Alaska Anchorage
West
GNAC
Anchorage, Alaska
6
6
Augustana (S.D.)
Central
NSIC
Sioux Falls, S.D.
7
7
Ferris State
Midwest
GLIAC
Big Rapids, Mich.
8
8
Shippensburg
Atlantic
PSAC
Shippensburg, Pa.
4
9
Queens (N.C.)
Southeast
Conf. Carolinas
Charlotte, N.C.
9
10
Minnesota Duluth
Central
NSIC
Duluth, Minn.
DNQ
11
U-Mary
Central
NSIC
Bismarck, N.D.
11
12
Midwestern State
South Central
Lone Star
Wichita Falls, Texas
17
13
Tampa
South
Sunshine
Tampa, Florida
15
14
Edinboro
Atlantic
PSAC
Edinboro, Pa.
DNQ
15
Hillsdale
Midwest
GLIAC
Hillsdale, Mich.
14
16
Stonehill
East
Northeast-10
Easton, Mass.
18
17
Missouri Southern
South Central
MIAA
Joplin, Mo.
16
18
Truman State
South Central
MIAA
Kirksville, Mo.
DNQ
19
Millersville
Atlantic
PSAC
Millersville, Pa.
DNQ
20
Harding
South Central
Great American
Searcy, Ark.
DNQ
21
Bellarmine
Midwest
GLVC
Louisville, Ky.
DNQ
22
East Stroudsburg
Atlantic
PSAC
East Stroudsburg, Pa.
DNQ
23
Western Washington
West
GNAC
Bellingham, Wash.
10
24
Cal Poly Pomona
West
CCAA
Pomona, Calif.
19
25
Nova Southeastern
South
Sunshine
Davie, Fla.
DNQ
teams ranked by Ray Hoffman, Kutztown
---
Tom Lewis
U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
Communications Manager
1100 Poydras St., Suite 1750
New Orleans, LA 70163
(O) 504-599-8904 (F) 504-599-8909
Email: tom@ustfccca.org
Follow Us: twitter.com/USTFCCCA
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