2025 NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Preseason ::: USTFCCCA

NEW ORLEANS – It’s virtually right here.

Here is the preseason version of the NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings for the 2025 season, as launched on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Regional Rankings are decided subjectively by a single member coach in every respective area. The regional consultant is tasked with weighing returning groups’ power with present season outcomes (if relevant) in figuring out a rank-order of squad potential. Only USTFCCCA member applications are eligible to obtain a rating. Teams with provisional standing throughout the area could also be ranked.

Regional Championships Saturday is about for November 15, which is the place one staff from every area will mechanically qualify for the 2025 NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships.

East Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 MIT

Next in Line: No. 2 Tufts

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 WPI, No. 4 Bates, No. 5 Bowdoin

Notes: Four-time defending regional champion MIT headlines the preseason rankings in 2025. Graduation may need hit the Engineers arduous, however they return Renne Cooper and Yichen Sun, each of whom completed among the many top-15 athletes final 12 months. Jake Cobb took the subsequent step for MIT throughout the monitor season, operating a sub-nine minute steeple, whereas newcomer Sam Hansen is anticipated to contribute instantly.

Tufts, which sits second within the preseason rankings forward of WPI, Bates, and Bowdoin, welcomes again six of its top-seven runners from 2024. Top returner Amo Aouchiche had a breakout 2024 marketing campaign, incomes All-America honors along with his Thirty fifth-place end.

Great Lakes Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Hope

Next in Line: No. 2 John Carroll

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Calvin, No. 4 Trine, No. 5 Mount Union

Notes: Hope springs everlasting – and to the highest of the regional rankings for the primary time in program historical past. The Flying Dutch return six of its seven athletes from 2024, together with All-American Ian Petruska and Carston Cole, amongst others. Hope expects huge issues from Michigan State switch Aiden Moore, who drew a redshirt final 12 months however is able to compete in 2025.

John Carroll, which ranks second to start the season forward of Calvin, Trine, and Mount Union, will sport a unique look in 2025. The Blue Streaks graduated 5 runners who had been key to their success over a four-year interval that noticed them win three regional titles. Look for athletes like Nate Julien and Ian Paul to step up for JCU in 2025.

Metro Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Moravian

Next in Line: No. 2 Rowan

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Swarthmore, No. 4 TCNJ, No. 5 Haverford

Notes: Defending regional champion Moravian is projected to run it again in 2025. The top-ranked Greyhounds solely return two athletes from their high seven final 12 months, however see a excessive ceiling with how their runners carried out on the monitor. Moravian additionally nabbed Temple switch Cole Frank within the offseason. Frank has an 8k PR of 23:47 and ran 8:07 for the 3k on the monitor.

Rowan all the time finds itself within the combine and must be there in 2025. The Profs, who rank forward of Swarthmore, TCNJ, and Haverford, must be led by Matt Conway and Colin Patterson.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Johns Hopkins

Next in Line: No. 2 Carnegie Mellon

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Lebanon Valley, No. 4 Messiah, No. 5 Dickinson

Notes: Johns Hopkins is projected to win the regional title come November. The Blue Jays, who completed runner-up final 12 months, welcome again six of seven runners from final 12 months’s squad, specifically star Emmanuel Leblond who completed sixth on the 2024 NCAA Championships. Four-time defending champion Carnegie Mellon may make life tough for Johns Hopkins, however should exchange six of its seven runners from final 12 months’s staff. Ryan Podnar and Matthew Short will probably be regarded upon to steer the Tartans this season.

Lebanon Valley, Messiah, and Dickinson spherical out the top-five groups.

Mideast Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 RPI

Next in Line: No. 2 Williams

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Amherst, No. 4 Wesleyan (Conn.), No. 5 Middlebury

Notes: Defending champion RPI sits atop the preseason rankings. The Engineers, who romped to victory final 12 months with 29 factors, return three of their top-five runners, together with Jack Loughery, Justin Cascio, and Tobin Durham, who completed fourth, sixth, and seventh, respectively on that championship staff.

Williams returns six of its top-seven runners from final 12 months’s runner-up staff, specifically Malcolm Oakes and Rick Yanashita. No. 3 Amherst, No. 4 Wesleyan (Conn.) and No. 5 Middlebury spherical out the top-five groups.

Midwest Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Wartburg

Next in Line: No. 2 North Central (Ill.)

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 UChicago, No. 4 Loras, No. 5 Washington (Mo.)

Notes: It will probably be a struggle of attrition within the Midwest Region as soon as once more and Wartburg is projected to come back out on high. The Knights return three runners who earned All-America honors in 2024: Isaiah Hammerand (seventh), Jacob Green (fifteenth), and Lance Sobaski (thirty seventh).

North Central (Ill.) sits second to start the season forward of UChicago, Loras, and Washington (Mo.). The Cardinals, who completed runner-up to Wartburg final 12 months, have a squad bolstered by upperclassmen, specifically seniors Kyle Nofziger and BJ Sorg. Oscar Frontjes is a sophomore, however stood out on the monitor in 2025 with PRs of 14:53.02 for 5k and 30:32.42 for 10k.

Niagara Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 SUNY Geneseo

Next in Line: No. 2 NYU

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Hamilton, No. 4 Rochester (N.Y.), No. 5 SUNY Brockport

Notes: SUNY Geneseo is anticipated to high the rostrum on the regional championships come November. The Knights, who completed runner-up final 12 months to now-No. 2 NYU, return a number of proficient runners, specifically Empire 8 champion Ryan Hagan and Niagara Region fourth-place finisher Pierce Young. The defending champion Violets, who beat SUNY Geneseo by one level final 12 months, welcome again three of their top-five athletes from 2024, headlined by third-place finisher Liam Hagerty (Hagerty additionally completed top-50 on the NCAA Championships).

No. 3 Hamilton, No. 4 Rochester (N.Y.) and No. 5 SUNY Brockport spherical out the highest 5 groups.

North Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 UW-La Crosse

Next in Line: No. 2 St. Olaf

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 UW-Whitewater, No. 4 UW-Stevens Point, No. 5 UW-Platteville

Notes: UW-La Crosse is taken into account to be a category above the remainder of the area. The defending regional and nationwide champion Eagles welcome again six of their seven runners from final 12 months, together with 4 All-Americans: Grant Matthai (third), Aidan Matthai (fifth), Joey Sullivan (sixteenth), and Jayden Zywicki (twentieth). UW-La Crosse additionally added a number of excellent freshmen.

St. Olaf, led by 2024 All-American Kevin Turlington, is projected to make a run on the title, and sits above No. 3 UW-Whitewater, No. 4 UW-Stevens Point and No. 5 UW-Platteville.

South Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Washington & Lee

Next in Line: No. 2 Lynchburg

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Emory, No. 4 Pfeiffer, No. 5 Berry

Notes: Washington & Lee is ranked No. 1 for the primary time in program historical past. The Generals, who had been ranked as excessive as second simply 4 time up to now 4 years, return six of seven runners from final 12 months’s squad, together with Keaton Rush and Robert Cooper.

2024 regional champion Lynchburg sits second and should discover a solution to restock the cabinet. The Hornets graduated a pair of monitor nationwide champions in Sam Llaneza and Tor Hotung-Davidson, and noticed record-holder Chasen Hunt switch to NCAA DI North Carolina.

No. 3 Emory, No. 4 Pfieffer, and No. 5 Berry spherical out the highest 5 groups.

West Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Pomona-Pitzer

Next in Line: No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Colorado College, No. 4 UC Santa Cruz, No. 5 George Fox

Notes: Seven-time defending regional champion Pomona-Pitzer stars the 12 months at No. 1 for the tenth time up to now 11 years. The Sagehens misplaced each Cameron Halter and Quinn White within the offseason, however welcome again three of their seven runners from final 12 months and have glorious depth ready within the wings. Transfer Amir Barkan ought to contribute instantly for them.

2024 runner-up Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is claimed to be deep this 12 months, whereas No. 3 Colorado College, No. 4 UC Santa Cruz and No. 5 George Fox ought to make issues attention-grabbing.