Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Five Teams Earn First-Place Votes in New DI Men’s National Poll

Five Teams Earn First-Place Votes in New DI Men’s National Poll


By Kyle Terwillegar, USTFCCCA
September 27, 2016   



NEW ORLEANS – Anytime a unanimous No.1 defending national champion team is upset –as Syracuse was this weekend at Virginia by BYU – there’s sure to be some rearranging in the following National Coaches’ Poll.
That turned out to be an understatement in Tuesday’s week three NCAA Division I Men’s National Coaches’ Poll, which featured a new top-ranked squad, the most-ever teams receiving first-place votes at one time and six teams in the top five.
National PDFs: Summary | Week-by-Week 2016 | Week-by-Week All Time
Regional Rankings: Summary | Recap
WOMEN’S NATIONAL POLL

NCAA Division I National Coaches Poll Top 5 – Men

1)Syracuse)2)Oregon3)Syracuse)4)Syracuse)5)ColoradoColorado
Northern ArizonaSyracuseOregonBYUColorado/
Arkansas
View Complete Men’s National Coaches Poll

Northern Arizona assumed control of the poll after Syracuse’s misstep at the Panorama Farms Invitational, garnering seven first-place votes for its second-ever No. 1 rank in program history. The Lumberjacks – who will not run their full lineup until at least mid-October at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational – also checked in atop the poll prior to the 2013 NCAA Championships.
It’s far from a unanimous coronation, however. NAU was just one of five teams that earned first-place votes this week; never before Tuesday had more than four men’s teams earned first-place nods in any single poll. Week 10 of the 2010 season was the most recent of the four all-time instances of this dating back to the 1997 season (the beginning of the USTFCCCA archives).
The Orangemen, despite the upset, managed to retain one of their first-place votes as they dropped to No. 2 in the poll. No. 3 Oregon earned two first-place votes, while No. 4 BYU – the usurpers at Panorama Farms – and No. 5 Colorado also tallied a first-place nod each.
Joining Colorado in a tie at No. 5 was Arkansas.
Three of those teams will get to make their case for additional first-place consideration this weekend. Oregon will be in action at the Washington Invitational (which will be covered live on the USTFCCCA National Results Wall on Saturday), Colorado will host its annual Rocky Mountain Shootout and Arkansas will host its annual Chile Pepper Festival.
As a result of the 39-44 upset over Syracuse at Virginia, BYU moved up eight spots from a week ago to its highest rank since late last season when the Cougars checked in at No. 3 in week six. The Cougars’ solid pack-running and late-race endurance that served them so well against Cuse this weekend will be tested next at Wisconsin, which will feature not only a rematch with the Orange but also a showdown with NAU.
The Cougars weren’t the only team making a big leap into the top 10, or even the only team from the West Coast Conference to do so, for that matter. Coming off a decisive win at the Roy Griak Invitational, Portland soared up 12 spots to No. 7 for its first top-10 appearance since 2014.
That season ended with a program-best third-place national finish for the Pilots, who ended up missing the NCAA Championships a year later in 2015 as the team was reloading. The process appears to be back on the right track so far in 2016, as Portland topped Iowa State (more on the Cyclones in a moment) at Griak, 69-97.
Rounding out the top-10 were No. 8 Georgetown, No. 9 Eastern Kentucky and No. 10 Oklahoma State – all of whom dropped one spot.
Falling out of the top-10 were No. 11 Stanford (down seven from last time) and No. 12 Wisconsin (down two). As has become the norm the past few seasons, the jury is still out on Stanford as the Cardinal have not yet fielded their full lineup with top-20 national finishers Sean McGorty and Grant Fisher. Stanford was just fifth at Virginia with at least three runners who have been and are expected to be major postseason contributors.
Aforementioned Griak runners-up Iowa State was the most notable addition to the top-30, as the Cyclones catapulted from “receiving votes” to No. 15. In a textbook display of pack running, Iowa State’s five scorers all finished within six seconds of one another at Griak as the Cyclones moved up to their highest rank since the 2008 season.
That race’s fifth-place team finisher, Michigan State, also got a big bump. The Spartans rose eight spots to No. 22 with the result.
Joining Iowa State as newcomers to the top-30 were No. 27 UCLA and both Florida State and Texas in a tie at No. 30.
See the full men’s poll below.
The USTFCCCA National Coaches’ Poll for DI ranks the top 30 teams in the country. Voting panel of 12 consists of nine regional representatives, plus three other members of the DI Executive Committee.


USTFCCCA NCAA Division I

Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll

2016 Week #3 — September 27

next poll: October 4
RankInstitution (FPV)PointsRecord^Region (CR)ConferenceCross Country Coach (Yr*)
Last Week
1Northern Arizona (7)3513-0 (1-0)Mountain (1)Big SkyEric Heins (10th)
2
2Syracuse (1)33119-1 (3-1)Northeast (1)ACCChris Fox (12th)
1
3Oregon (2)3266-0 (2-0)West (2)Pac-12Robert Johnson (5th)
3
4BYU (1)32013-0 (3-0)Mountain (2)West CoastEd Eyestone (17th)
12
5Colorado (1)299— (—)Mountain (3)Pac-12Mark Wetmore (22nd)
5
5Arkansas29911-2 (—)South Central (1)SECChris Bucknam (9th)
6
7Portland29632-2 (7-2)West (1)West CoastRob Conner (27th)
19
8Georgetown2645-2 (0-1)Mid-Atlantic (1)Big EastBrandon Bonsey (1st)
7
9Eastern Kentucky2492-0 (—)Southeast (1)Ohio ValleyRick Erdmann (38th)
8
10Oklahoma State2405-0 (1-0)Midwest (1)Big 12Dave Smith (11th)
9
11Stanford2379-4 (0-3)West (4)Pac-12Chris Miltenberg (5th)
4
12Wisconsin201— (—)Great Lakes (2)Big TenMick Byrne (9th)
10
13Virginia19611-2 (1-2)Southeast (2)ACCPeter Watson (5th)
11
14Indiana1934-0 (—)Great Lakes (1)Big TenRon Helmer (10th)
13
15Iowa State18327-1 (7-1)Midwest (2)Big 12Martin Smith (4th)
RV
16Iona1813-5 (0-1)Northeast (3)Metro AtlanticRicardo Santos (9th)
15
17Boise State18026-2 (6-1)West (3)Mountain WestCorey Ihmels (4th)
14
18UTEP167— (—)Mountain (4)Conference USAPaul Ereng (14th)
15
19Michigan14727-4 (5-3)Great Lakes (3)Big TenKevin Sullivan (3rd)
17
20Mississippi127— (—)South (1)SECRyan Vanhoy (4th)
18
21Washington1083-1 (0-1)West (6)Pac-12Greg Metcalf (15th)
21
22Michigan State10128-4 (4-3)Great Lakes (4)Big TenWalt Drenth (13th)
30
23NC State94— (—)Southeast (3)ACCRollie Geiger (39th)
23
24Washington State894-0 (1-0)West (5)Pac-12Wayne Phipps (3rd)
27
25Columbia565-4 (1-0)Northeast (2)IvyDan Ireland (3rd)
25
26Penn55— (—)Mid-Atlantic (2)IvySteve Dolan (5th)
29
27UCLA5423-5 (4-4)West (7)Pac-12Mike Maynard (8th)
RV
28Tulsa504-1 (0-1)Midwest (3)AmericanSteve Gulley (15th)
28
29Colorado State4322-6 (3-4)Mountain (5)Mountain WestArt Siemers (5th)
24
30Florida State22— (—)South (2)ACCBob Braman (17th)
RV
30Texas22— (—)South Central (2)Big 12Mario Sategna (4th)
RV
Others Receiving Votes: Dartmouth 17, Providence 13, Virginia Tech 10, Louisville 10, Middle Tennessee 8, Princeton 8, Southern Utah 6, Villanova 6, Campbell 5, Oklahoma 3, Texas A&M 3, Minnesota 2, Illinois 2
Dropped out: No. 19 Oklahoma, No. 22 Furman, No. 26 Southern Utah
^ Win-loss record reflective of results in varsity competition of races 7500 meters or longer versus DI opponents starting September 9; records in () are results against ranked teams.
(* year as effective coach of that team in men’s cross country), CR – Coaches’ Regional Ranking


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