Colorado State University Athletics
Rams’ men rise to No. 9 in week five USTFCCCA national coaches’ poll
10/17/2017 1:49:00 PM | Cross Country
CSU’s men have highest ranking in any week since 2003, second-highest ranking all-time from USTFCCCA and best ranking of Siemers era
NEW ORLEANS – Following the team's performance at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational. Colorado State men's cross country has risen to No. 9 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association's (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country National Coaches' Poll. The organization released its week five rankings on Tuesday.
With this week's No. 9 ranking, Colorado State places within the national top 10 for the first time since 2003. It also marks the Rams' second-highest national ranking in cross country all-time from the USTFCCCA, with the only higher ranking (No. 8) coming in week two of 2003.
CSU had been ranked at No. 18 on the men's side for the first three polls (including preseason) before rising to No. 15 in week three after a team championship at the Roy Griak Invitational. The Rams then surged to No. 11 in week four before its No. 9 ranking this week. This is the highest ranking of cross country head coach Art Siemers' six-year tenure.
The CSU men have now been ranked for 35 consecutive regular-season polls under Siemers, dating back to the week three rankings in 2013. Additionally, CSU has now been ranked within the top 20 for nine consecutive polls, dating back to week five of the 2016 season. The Rams remain the highest-ranked men's cross country team of any Mountain West school.
Regionally, The Rams' men rose to fourth in the Mountain Region in the USTFCCCA's 2017 NCAA Division I Week Four Regional Rankings, while the Rams' women checked in at No. 9. CSU's men rank only behind No. 1 Northern Arizona, No. 2 BYU and No. 5 Colorado in the Mountain Region.
CSU's performance at the Nuttycombe led to their rise in this week's rankings, as the Rams placed sixth of 35 teams in an NCAA Championships-caliber field. The Rams toppled 14 ranked teams, including then-No. 6 Southern Utah, and placed behind No. 1 Northern Arizona, then-No. 3 Syracuse, then-No. 4 Stanford, then-No. 10 Furman and then-No. 25 Portland, which leapt 22 spots to No. 3 this week. Jerrell Mock (16th), Cole Rockhold (27th) and Eric Hamer (49th) all finished in the top 50 of 234 runners.
Also included among the accomplishments for this year's CSU cross country teams is the men's first-ever Roy Griak Invitational team title. Mock became the third athlete to repeat as men's individual champion, while CSU became the first program in meet history to have the individual champion in three consecutive seasons. Former CSU All-American Jefferson Abbey started that streak in 2015.
The Rams have had four Mountain West athletes of the week in 2017, tied for the most in the conference. Included among those athletes are Mock, Darby Gilfillan, Trent Powell and McKenna Spillar. Mock has also picked up nation honors, as he was also named USTFCCCA NCAA DI Men Athlete of the Week following his Griak win. With this season's league honors, CSU is the only current conference member to sweep MW weekly honors outright twice in a single season.
The Colorado State cross country team returns to competition on Friday, Oct. 27 at the Mountain West Cross Country Championships. The meet will be held from the University of New Mexico North Golf Course in Albuquerque, N.M.
With this week's No. 9 ranking, Colorado State places within the national top 10 for the first time since 2003. It also marks the Rams' second-highest national ranking in cross country all-time from the USTFCCCA, with the only higher ranking (No. 8) coming in week two of 2003.
CSU had been ranked at No. 18 on the men's side for the first three polls (including preseason) before rising to No. 15 in week three after a team championship at the Roy Griak Invitational. The Rams then surged to No. 11 in week four before its No. 9 ranking this week. This is the highest ranking of cross country head coach Art Siemers' six-year tenure.
The CSU men have now been ranked for 35 consecutive regular-season polls under Siemers, dating back to the week three rankings in 2013. Additionally, CSU has now been ranked within the top 20 for nine consecutive polls, dating back to week five of the 2016 season. The Rams remain the highest-ranked men's cross country team of any Mountain West school.
Regionally, The Rams' men rose to fourth in the Mountain Region in the USTFCCCA's 2017 NCAA Division I Week Four Regional Rankings, while the Rams' women checked in at No. 9. CSU's men rank only behind No. 1 Northern Arizona, No. 2 BYU and No. 5 Colorado in the Mountain Region.
CSU's performance at the Nuttycombe led to their rise in this week's rankings, as the Rams placed sixth of 35 teams in an NCAA Championships-caliber field. The Rams toppled 14 ranked teams, including then-No. 6 Southern Utah, and placed behind No. 1 Northern Arizona, then-No. 3 Syracuse, then-No. 4 Stanford, then-No. 10 Furman and then-No. 25 Portland, which leapt 22 spots to No. 3 this week. Jerrell Mock (16th), Cole Rockhold (27th) and Eric Hamer (49th) all finished in the top 50 of 234 runners.
Also included among the accomplishments for this year's CSU cross country teams is the men's first-ever Roy Griak Invitational team title. Mock became the third athlete to repeat as men's individual champion, while CSU became the first program in meet history to have the individual champion in three consecutive seasons. Former CSU All-American Jefferson Abbey started that streak in 2015.
The Rams have had four Mountain West athletes of the week in 2017, tied for the most in the conference. Included among those athletes are Mock, Darby Gilfillan, Trent Powell and McKenna Spillar. Mock has also picked up nation honors, as he was also named USTFCCCA NCAA DI Men Athlete of the Week following his Griak win. With this season's league honors, CSU is the only current conference member to sweep MW weekly honors outright twice in a single season.
The Colorado State cross country team returns to competition on Friday, Oct. 27 at the Mountain West Cross Country Championships. The meet will be held from the University of New Mexico North Golf Course in Albuquerque, N.M.
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