By: Garrett Zatlin
PAST RANKINGS THIS SEASON
Preseason (9/11)
Week 1 (9/20)
Week 2 (9/28)
Week 3 (10/5)
Week 4 (10/12)-- No changes
Week 5 (10/19)
Week 6 (10/26)-- No changes
Week 7 (11/2)
Week 8 (11/9)-- No changes
Week 9 (11/16)
Week 10 (12/5)
KEY
PAST RANKINGS THIS SEASON
Preseason (9/11)
Week 1 (9/20)
Week 2 (9/28)
Week 3 (10/5)
Week 4 (10/12)-- No changes
Week 5 (10/19)
Week 6 (10/26)-- No changes
Week 7 (11/2)
Week 8 (11/9)-- No changes
Week 9 (11/16)
Week 10 (12/5)
KEY
· Bold: Had performance or important piece of news that influenced a strong change in the rankings
· (#/#): First number indicates how much the team has moved in the rankings. A plus (with green) means they have improved in the rankings. A minus (with red) means they have regressed in the rankings. The second number indicates where they were ranked the week before
· (Weren’t Ranked): Was not ranked the week before.
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#25 Eastern Kentucky Colonials (-4/21)
#24 Air Force Falcons (-1/23)
-The Mountain West title was essentially a three-way battle between Boise State, Colorado State, and Air Force. Each team had three guys place in the top 10, but the race came down to who had the better 4th and 5th man- something Air Force couldn't match.
The Falcons ended up taking spots 5, 6, 7, 19 and 24 while finishing 3rd overall with 61 points. Their star from last year, Kyle Eller continued to struggle and placed 19th overall.
Just like Jefferson Abbey, it would take a miracle for Kyle Eller to return to last year's form. BUT if Eller can at least improve on his 19th place finish from this past weekend, then Air Force will have a legitimate shot to make the NCAA championship.
#23 Georgetown Hoyas (+1/24)
-Jonathan Green didn't run, but the Hoyas still pulled off a much needed (and expected) win at BIG East's. Scott Carpenter was excellent once again as he placed 2nd overall while Bartelsmeyer and Clevenger were 5th and 6th respectively.
If anything, this was more of a confidence booster before regionals. It's not an exciting victory, but a win is a win.
#22 Washington State Cougars (-3/19)
-The Cougars did finish 5th overall (as predicted), but their score wasn't all that appealing with a total of 136 points. Throughout this season, the Cougar's have been led up front by Michael Williams and John Whelan. But at PAC-12's it was Sam Levora's turn to be the low-stick as he placed 15th overall. The only problem was that guys like Williams and Whelan were further back than expected placing 24th and 26th respectively.
If those three guys can all run their best at regionals, they could shake up the national qualifying picture. They'll just have to hope that their 4th and 5th men come through.
#21 Colorado State Rams (-3/18)
-CSU was favored to win the Mountain West title. But with Jefferson Abbey still struggling and Vennard returning for Boise State, the Rams couldn't pull off the win. I still see this team making nationals, but unless Jefferson Abbey makes a miracle comeback to peak fitness, then Colorado State won't be all that competitive at NCAA's.
#20 Michigan Wolverines (-7/13)
-It was a very long ride back home from Minnesota as the Wolverines had a terrible outing at BIG 10's. Aaron Baumgarten seemed to be the only bright spot for U of M as he placed 6th overall. Connor Mora, on the other hand, was the team's second scorer despite placing 19th.
Michigan had four scorers in the top 30, but their 5th scorer was all the way back in 47th and that just can not happen. This is an experienced team too. Of the 9 varsity individuals allowed to run, Michigan ran 7 juniors and seniors. Hopefully that experience will be able on full display at regionals.
#19 Indiana Hoosiers (+1/20)
-In a conference with Michigan, Wisconsin, and Michigan State, the Hoosiers may have had the best top 3 runners at BIG 10's with Crist, Shwartzer, and Veatch placing 3rd, 4th, and 8th.
The only problem? Their 4th and 5th men placed 37th and 40th. We saw the same issue with NC State and Louisville last year as their last few scorers held them back from being one of the best teams in the nation. If Indiana can somehow close that gap then they'll give themselves a chance to make nationals in two weeks.
#18 UTEP Miners (-1/17)
-After facing a very underrated Middle Tennessee State team at Conference USA's, UTEP pulled off the win as expected. We'll have to wait to see them face their next true challenge at regionals.
#17 Boise State Broncos (Wasn't Ranked)
-Upset alert! After an unexciting regular season, the Broncos rallied to defeat Colorado State and Air Force. The Broncos can thank Michael Vennard for the win after he finished his first race since Roy Griak. His 3rd place finish matched with Yusuke Uchikoski's win gave Boise State a score of 41 points to defend their conference title.
Boise State is once again a competitive team with Vennard back in the mix. If Andrew Rafla can get back to top form, then Boise State could end up becoming a top 10 team.
#16 Portland Pilots (-5/11)
-I didn't expect Portland to win the West Coast conference title, but I did expect them to give BYU more of a challenge. BYU burned Portland and the rest of the field by taking spots 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 for a total score of 24 points (21 points better than Portland).
Just like ISU, Portland has made some great improvements. But without an established low-stick, Portland won't be able to get past some of the top programs in the nation.
#15 Iowa State Cyclones (-3/12)
-After a slow opening pace at BIG 12's, I thought Iowa State had a chance to pull off the upset over Oklahoma State. Unfortunately, the difference between them and OKST was that the Cowboys had a tighter pack while ISU's 5th man finished 16th overall.
ISU was ranked 12th last week, but they showed that their not perfect with minor gaps in their pack. Still, they're a talented team that has made a tremendous improvement from years past.
#14 Mississippi Rebels (0/14)
-I thought the race between Mississippi and Arkansas was going to be very close...it wasn't. Arkansas handled Mississippi pretty easily. Still, Mississippi has done enough to stay in the top 15. They have legitimate low-sticks, a tight spread, and plenty of depth. Until they mess up, they'll stay around the 14th spot.
#13 Michigan State Spartans (Wasn't Ranked)
-Did anyone expect Michigan State to contend for the BIG 10 title? They nearly won it with aggressive front-running tactics. The Spartans actually held the first five spots at the mile marker. It was a risky move, but it nearly worked as they were 3 points behind Wisconsin.
I was worried about how the Spartans would perform after TJ Carey left the team. But with Sherod Hardt looking like a true front runner and other young guys like Ryan Robinson, Morgan Beadlescomb, and Jesse Hersha stepping up to the occasion, Michigan State shouldn't be counted out of the Great Lakes title conversation.
#12 Oklahoma State Cowboys (+3/15)
-It was a very slow and tactical race at BIG 12's and a lot of Oklahoma State's top guys didn't run all that well. Sylvester Barus faded to 20th while Josh Thompson couldn't stick with the chase pack and ended up in 7th. Hassan Abdi, however, did place 3rd overall after having to stop to but back on both of his shoes.
Even though some guys struggled, the depth for Oklahoma State came up big as Luis Martinez, Anthoney Armstrong, and Christian Liddell placed 5th, 10th, and 11th respectively. Despite a strong effort from Iowa State, the Cowboys emerged as the top team with a score of 36 points.
Oklahoma State will need to address a few things regarding the consistency of their front-runners before they get to nationals. But with Geberkidane (hopefully) returning at regionals and their depth running as well as they are, things are looking good for the Pokes.
#11 Virginia Cavaliers (+5/16)
-They ran hard from the front in an attempt to break-up a very strong Syracuse pack. That, of course, did not end up working but the Cavaliers still ran very well. Brent Demarest has earned himself a spot in the top 50 rankings while freshman Lachlan Cook is prospering in every race he runs in. With Henry Wynne set to return at regionals, Virginia is looking like a very strong program.
#10 Wisconsin Badgers (0/10)
-Wisconsin seems to be back on track as they reclaimed their BIG 10 title with a 3 point win over Michigan State. Malachy Schrobilgen is looking like a strong low-stick once again as Morgan McDonald is making an argument to be one of the top runners in the nation. Others like Olin Hacker are stepping up and providing some support in terms of the scoring.
They'll need to cut down the gap from their third man to their fourth and fifth runners, but the Badgers are in a good spot right now.
#9 UCLA Bruins (0/9)
-I really wanted to put UCLA ahead of Oregon, but I just don't see Oregon having another collapse like that and I don't think UCLA has quite the fire-power that Oregon has. Still, the Bruins have been super impressive this season. Ferdinand Edman has become a true low-stick while the rest of their scorers have found a way to pack together. If UCLA can cut down the gap between their 4th and 5th man you can bet that their ranking will improve.
The only problem with UCLA is that just like Oregon, they don't have much depth. We all saw what happened this past weekend and how that can be the deciding factor between 1st place and 4th place.
#8 Oregon Ducks (-5/3)
-It was a nightmare performance from Oregon who's lack of depth came back to hurt them. Maton (expected to place in top 10) finished 28th while Anderson (expected to place in top 20) finished 30th. Meanwhile, Prakel had a poor showing of his own as he fell back all the way to 33rd.
Aside from Cheserek, Neuman and Thomet were really the only Oregon Ducks who had half-way decent performances.
In the week 5 team rankings, I put Stanford ahead of Oregon and I mentioned my concerns about Oregon's lack of depth and how that could make them vulnerable. Sure enough that turned out to be the case.
#7 Syracuse Orangemen (-2/5)
-Syracuse desperately needed a rebound race after a Wisconsin performance that they were not happy about. The Orangemen found their groove and packed together to put FIVE in the top 10 for a score of 29 points. If they can keep that pack together at NCAA's, they'll at least have a chance to podium.
#6 BYU Cougars (-2/4)
-Nothing too exciting here as the Cougars packed together to shut down Portland and earn the West Coast conference team title.
#5 Iona Gaels (+2/7)
#4 Arkansas Razorbacks (+2/6)
-It's amazing how the addition of one guy can completely change the dynamic of a team. Chartt Miller (Iona) and Andrew Ronoh (Arkansas) both made their season debut at conferences this past weekend with the results looking promising.
Arkansas had some issues at Pre-Nats with their 5th man placing 53rd. However, with Ronoh now in the mix, Arkansas is a dangerous team that could fight for an NCAA team title if one of the top teams have an off day.
Iona, on the other hand, adds a third crucial low-stick with Chartt Miller which makes this team incredibly strong. Now, the focus will be on Iona's 4th and 5th men which will essentially be the deciding factor as to if Iona gets on the podium or stays off (again).
#3 Colorado Buffaloes (+5/8)
-Furman Paladins (Last Ranked 22nd)
#25 Eastern Kentucky Colonials (-4/21)
-EKU is typically a
program that prospers in the post-season, but after conferences I'm not sure
how confident I feel about them right now. They still dominated the Ohio Valley
conference with a score of 37 points, but they honestly could've been better.
While I may not be impressed now, we can't count this team out just yet. They
came out of nowhere last season to place 3rd at regionals and 2016 is looking
like a very similar setup for them.
#24 Air Force Falcons (-1/23)
-The Mountain West title was essentially a three-way battle between Boise State, Colorado State, and Air Force. Each team had three guys place in the top 10, but the race came down to who had the better 4th and 5th man- something Air Force couldn't match.
The Falcons ended up taking spots 5, 6, 7, 19 and 24 while finishing 3rd overall with 61 points. Their star from last year, Kyle Eller continued to struggle and placed 19th overall.
Just like Jefferson Abbey, it would take a miracle for Kyle Eller to return to last year's form. BUT if Eller can at least improve on his 19th place finish from this past weekend, then Air Force will have a legitimate shot to make the NCAA championship.
#23 Georgetown Hoyas (+1/24)
-Jonathan Green didn't run, but the Hoyas still pulled off a much needed (and expected) win at BIG East's. Scott Carpenter was excellent once again as he placed 2nd overall while Bartelsmeyer and Clevenger were 5th and 6th respectively.
If anything, this was more of a confidence booster before regionals. It's not an exciting victory, but a win is a win.
#22 Washington State Cougars (-3/19)
-The Cougars did finish 5th overall (as predicted), but their score wasn't all that appealing with a total of 136 points. Throughout this season, the Cougar's have been led up front by Michael Williams and John Whelan. But at PAC-12's it was Sam Levora's turn to be the low-stick as he placed 15th overall. The only problem was that guys like Williams and Whelan were further back than expected placing 24th and 26th respectively.
If those three guys can all run their best at regionals, they could shake up the national qualifying picture. They'll just have to hope that their 4th and 5th men come through.
#21 Colorado State Rams (-3/18)
-CSU was favored to win the Mountain West title. But with Jefferson Abbey still struggling and Vennard returning for Boise State, the Rams couldn't pull off the win. I still see this team making nationals, but unless Jefferson Abbey makes a miracle comeback to peak fitness, then Colorado State won't be all that competitive at NCAA's.
#20 Michigan Wolverines (-7/13)
-It was a very long ride back home from Minnesota as the Wolverines had a terrible outing at BIG 10's. Aaron Baumgarten seemed to be the only bright spot for U of M as he placed 6th overall. Connor Mora, on the other hand, was the team's second scorer despite placing 19th.
Michigan had four scorers in the top 30, but their 5th scorer was all the way back in 47th and that just can not happen. This is an experienced team too. Of the 9 varsity individuals allowed to run, Michigan ran 7 juniors and seniors. Hopefully that experience will be able on full display at regionals.
#19 Indiana Hoosiers (+1/20)
-In a conference with Michigan, Wisconsin, and Michigan State, the Hoosiers may have had the best top 3 runners at BIG 10's with Crist, Shwartzer, and Veatch placing 3rd, 4th, and 8th.
The only problem? Their 4th and 5th men placed 37th and 40th. We saw the same issue with NC State and Louisville last year as their last few scorers held them back from being one of the best teams in the nation. If Indiana can somehow close that gap then they'll give themselves a chance to make nationals in two weeks.
#18 UTEP Miners (-1/17)
-After facing a very underrated Middle Tennessee State team at Conference USA's, UTEP pulled off the win as expected. We'll have to wait to see them face their next true challenge at regionals.
#17 Boise State Broncos (Wasn't Ranked)
-Upset alert! After an unexciting regular season, the Broncos rallied to defeat Colorado State and Air Force. The Broncos can thank Michael Vennard for the win after he finished his first race since Roy Griak. His 3rd place finish matched with Yusuke Uchikoski's win gave Boise State a score of 41 points to defend their conference title.
Boise State is once again a competitive team with Vennard back in the mix. If Andrew Rafla can get back to top form, then Boise State could end up becoming a top 10 team.
-I didn't expect Portland to win the West Coast conference title, but I did expect them to give BYU more of a challenge. BYU burned Portland and the rest of the field by taking spots 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 for a total score of 24 points (21 points better than Portland).
Just like ISU, Portland has made some great improvements. But without an established low-stick, Portland won't be able to get past some of the top programs in the nation.
#15 Iowa State Cyclones (-3/12)
-After a slow opening pace at BIG 12's, I thought Iowa State had a chance to pull off the upset over Oklahoma State. Unfortunately, the difference between them and OKST was that the Cowboys had a tighter pack while ISU's 5th man finished 16th overall.
ISU was ranked 12th last week, but they showed that their not perfect with minor gaps in their pack. Still, they're a talented team that has made a tremendous improvement from years past.
#14 Mississippi Rebels (0/14)
-I thought the race between Mississippi and Arkansas was going to be very close...it wasn't. Arkansas handled Mississippi pretty easily. Still, Mississippi has done enough to stay in the top 15. They have legitimate low-sticks, a tight spread, and plenty of depth. Until they mess up, they'll stay around the 14th spot.
#13 Michigan State Spartans (Wasn't Ranked)
-Did anyone expect Michigan State to contend for the BIG 10 title? They nearly won it with aggressive front-running tactics. The Spartans actually held the first five spots at the mile marker. It was a risky move, but it nearly worked as they were 3 points behind Wisconsin.
I was worried about how the Spartans would perform after TJ Carey left the team. But with Sherod Hardt looking like a true front runner and other young guys like Ryan Robinson, Morgan Beadlescomb, and Jesse Hersha stepping up to the occasion, Michigan State shouldn't be counted out of the Great Lakes title conversation.
#12 Oklahoma State Cowboys (+3/15)
-It was a very slow and tactical race at BIG 12's and a lot of Oklahoma State's top guys didn't run all that well. Sylvester Barus faded to 20th while Josh Thompson couldn't stick with the chase pack and ended up in 7th. Hassan Abdi, however, did place 3rd overall after having to stop to but back on both of his shoes.
Even though some guys struggled, the depth for Oklahoma State came up big as Luis Martinez, Anthoney Armstrong, and Christian Liddell placed 5th, 10th, and 11th respectively. Despite a strong effort from Iowa State, the Cowboys emerged as the top team with a score of 36 points.
Oklahoma State will need to address a few things regarding the consistency of their front-runners before they get to nationals. But with Geberkidane (hopefully) returning at regionals and their depth running as well as they are, things are looking good for the Pokes.
#11 Virginia Cavaliers (+5/16)
-They ran hard from the front in an attempt to break-up a very strong Syracuse pack. That, of course, did not end up working but the Cavaliers still ran very well. Brent Demarest has earned himself a spot in the top 50 rankings while freshman Lachlan Cook is prospering in every race he runs in. With Henry Wynne set to return at regionals, Virginia is looking like a very strong program.
#10 Wisconsin Badgers (0/10)
-Wisconsin seems to be back on track as they reclaimed their BIG 10 title with a 3 point win over Michigan State. Malachy Schrobilgen is looking like a strong low-stick once again as Morgan McDonald is making an argument to be one of the top runners in the nation. Others like Olin Hacker are stepping up and providing some support in terms of the scoring.
They'll need to cut down the gap from their third man to their fourth and fifth runners, but the Badgers are in a good spot right now.
#9 UCLA Bruins (0/9)
-I really wanted to put UCLA ahead of Oregon, but I just don't see Oregon having another collapse like that and I don't think UCLA has quite the fire-power that Oregon has. Still, the Bruins have been super impressive this season. Ferdinand Edman has become a true low-stick while the rest of their scorers have found a way to pack together. If UCLA can cut down the gap between their 4th and 5th man you can bet that their ranking will improve.
The only problem with UCLA is that just like Oregon, they don't have much depth. We all saw what happened this past weekend and how that can be the deciding factor between 1st place and 4th place.
#8 Oregon Ducks (-5/3)
-It was a nightmare performance from Oregon who's lack of depth came back to hurt them. Maton (expected to place in top 10) finished 28th while Anderson (expected to place in top 20) finished 30th. Meanwhile, Prakel had a poor showing of his own as he fell back all the way to 33rd.
Aside from Cheserek, Neuman and Thomet were really the only Oregon Ducks who had half-way decent performances.
In the week 5 team rankings, I put Stanford ahead of Oregon and I mentioned my concerns about Oregon's lack of depth and how that could make them vulnerable. Sure enough that turned out to be the case.
#7 Syracuse Orangemen (-2/5)
-Syracuse desperately needed a rebound race after a Wisconsin performance that they were not happy about. The Orangemen found their groove and packed together to put FIVE in the top 10 for a score of 29 points. If they can keep that pack together at NCAA's, they'll at least have a chance to podium.
#6 BYU Cougars (-2/4)
-Nothing too exciting here as the Cougars packed together to shut down Portland and earn the West Coast conference team title.
#5 Iona Gaels (+2/7)
#4 Arkansas Razorbacks (+2/6)
-It's amazing how the addition of one guy can completely change the dynamic of a team. Chartt Miller (Iona) and Andrew Ronoh (Arkansas) both made their season debut at conferences this past weekend with the results looking promising.
Arkansas had some issues at Pre-Nats with their 5th man placing 53rd. However, with Ronoh now in the mix, Arkansas is a dangerous team that could fight for an NCAA team title if one of the top teams have an off day.
Iona, on the other hand, adds a third crucial low-stick with Chartt Miller which makes this team incredibly strong. Now, the focus will be on Iona's 4th and 5th men which will essentially be the deciding factor as to if Iona gets on the podium or stays off (again).
#3 Colorado Buffaloes (+5/8)
#2 Stanford Cardinals (0/2)
-This might be a bit controversial seeing as Colorado may have just run the race of the season to earn the PAC-12 title. However, there are just way too many weapons on Stanford's program to not give them the #2 spot.
As I mentioned in the top 50 rankings, McGorty had a chance to earn Stanford a team title if he had placed 2nd or 3rd. This would have resulted in Stanford winning by 1 point. That's not to take away from Colorado's win. They had an incredible performance thanks to certain individuals stepping up.
Right now, Colorado is behind Stanford mainly because this is the first legitimate performance of the season. I'm also really high on Stanford's depth which can be a difference maker in a race (see Oregon). If Colorado can put together another solid performance at regionals, they'll move ahead of the Cardinals.
-This might be a bit controversial seeing as Colorado may have just run the race of the season to earn the PAC-12 title. However, there are just way too many weapons on Stanford's program to not give them the #2 spot.
As I mentioned in the top 50 rankings, McGorty had a chance to earn Stanford a team title if he had placed 2nd or 3rd. This would have resulted in Stanford winning by 1 point. That's not to take away from Colorado's win. They had an incredible performance thanks to certain individuals stepping up.
Right now, Colorado is behind Stanford mainly because this is the first legitimate performance of the season. I'm also really high on Stanford's depth which can be a difference maker in a race (see Oregon). If Colorado can put together another solid performance at regionals, they'll move ahead of the Cardinals.
#1 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (0/1)
-Just another day in the office for the Lumberjacks as they took the Big Sky conference title with a 1-6 sweep over a very solid Southern Utah team. They're not invincible, but gosh do they look good.
-Just another day in the office for the Lumberjacks as they took the Big Sky conference title with a 1-6 sweep over a very solid Southern Utah team. They're not invincible, but gosh do they look good.
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Just Missed
-Southern Utah Thunderbirds
-Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
-Bradley Braves
-NC State Wolfpack
-Penn Quakers
-Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
-Bradley Braves
-NC State Wolfpack
-Penn Quakers
Who To Watch
-San Francisco Dons
-California Golden Bears
-Texas Longhorns
-Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
-Virginia Tech Hokies
-Minnesota Golden Gophers
-San Francisco Dons
-California Golden Bears
-Texas Longhorns
-Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
-Virginia Tech Hokies
-Minnesota Golden Gophers
Kicked Off
-Washington Huskies (Last Ranked 25th)-Furman Paladins (Last Ranked 22nd)
New Additions
-Boise State Broncos
-Michigan State Spartans
-Boise State Broncos
-Michigan State Spartans
Biggest Surprise of the Week
-Colorado Buffaloes
Team of the Week
-Colorado Buffaloes
-Colorado Buffaloes
Notes
-Colorado wins "Biggest Surprise of the Week" after upsetting winning PAC-12's when they were far from being the favorites.
-Colorado wins "Team of the Week" after defeating three Top 10 teams (Stanford, Oregon, UCLA) at PAC-12's
-Washington gets kicked out of the rankings after a disappointing 7th place finish at PAC-12's
-Colorado wins "Biggest Surprise of the Week" after upsetting winning PAC-12's when they were far from being the favorites.
-Colorado wins "Team of the Week" after defeating three Top 10 teams (Stanford, Oregon, UCLA) at PAC-12's
-Washington gets kicked out of the rankings after a disappointing 7th place finish at PAC-12's
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