Blogs : NCAA Division III Blog

DIII Men's Cross Country Rankings: Preseason Poll

Preseason Poll released Sept. 4:

                                                  Place

Rank  Team                      Region    Points  in 06

1     Calvin College (MI) (8)      GL      280     1

2     New York University          A       271     2

3     Wisconsin-La Crosse          MW      259    11

4     SUNY Cortland (NY)           A       257     4

5     St. John's University (MN)   C       253     5

6     North Central College (IL)   MW      232    13

7     College of New Jersey        A       229     8

8     Allegheny College (PA)       ME      222     3

9     Wheaton College (IL)         MW      215    --

10    Colorado College (CO)        W       210    --

11    Haverford College (PA)       ME      204    10

12    Wisconsin-Oshkosh            MW      180     9

13    Williams College (MA)        NE      171     7

14    Carnegie Mellon (PA)         ME      165    12

14    Willamette University (OR)   W       165    27

16    Wartburg College (IA)        C       160    23

17    Wisconsin-Platteville        MW      153    26

18    Nebraska Wesleyan            C       151    22

19    Heidelberg College (OH)      GL      136    20

20    SUNY Geneseo (NY)            A       132    14

21    Luther College (IA)          C       120     6

22    Wisconsin-Stevens Point      MW      109    --

23    Ohio Northern University     GL       97    32

24    Trinity College (CT)         NE       87    31

25    Mount Union College (OH)     GL       78    24

26    University of Rochester (NY) A        72    --

27    Carleton College (MN)        C        65    --

28    Augustana College (IL)       MW       61    --

29    Occidental College (CA)      W        58    30

30    Bowdoin College (ME)         NE       48    17

31    Brandeis University (MA)     NE       26    --

32    Elmhurst College (IL)        MW       25    --

33    Case Western Reserve (OH)    GL       20    --

34    Rhodes College (TN)          S        19    21

35=   Grinnell College (IA)        C        18    --

35=   Rochester IT (NY)            A        18    19

Also receiving votes: Emory University (GA), 15; Amherst College

(MA), 14; Hamline University (MN), 13; Washington University (MO),

11; Wesleyan University (CT), 7; Saint Lawrence University (NY),

6; Tufts University (MA), 3; Dickinson College (PA), 2; Rensselear

Polytechnic Institute (NY), 2; Centre College (KY), 1.

How well do rankings predict National Championship results?

In 2006, only 6 of the teams finished within (+/-) 2 places of their preseason ranking at Nationals.  Only 13 of the teams finished with (+/-) 5 places of their preseason ranking at Nationals.

Only half of preseason top 10 finished in the top 10 at Nationals; the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th place teams at Nationals came into the season ranked 10^th, 16^th, and 33^rd, respectively.

10 teams ranked in the top 32 in the pre-season poll did not qualify for Nationals.