ASC Men Hold Steady Atop Division II Poll

Scott Kretxmann
ASC Sports Information Director

NEW ORLEANS – The streak continues for the Adams State men’s cross country team and head coach Damon Martin, as the Grizzlies were again ranked No. 1 in Division II by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) in the latest set of rankings, released Wednesday by organization officials.
ASC’s streak now sits at 29 straight polls atop the national poll, and is currently at 32 consecutive times atop the Central Region rankings. The Grizzlies have also extended their streak of appearing in the top two to 63 sets of rankings, dating back to Nov. 8, 2004.
Nationally, the top five remains unchanged from a week ago, and continues to host three Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) squads. Western State sits at No. 2 nationally and in the Central Region, followed by Grand Valley State (Mich.) and Colorado Mines – third in the Central Region – in fourth nationally. Chico State (Calif.) rounds out the top five.
Four of the next five spots nationally were shuffled around as Southern Indiana and Edinboro (Pa.) each rose one place to sixth and seventh in the nation. Meanwhile, the Central Region’s No. 4-ranked Augustana (S.D.) fell two spots to eighth nationally, while UMass Lowell remained ninth and Central Missouri jumped two spots to 10th.
Previously unranked Minnesota State made a leap all the way up to 12th in the national poll, and gained two spots in the Central Region up to fifth. Metro State, No. 6 in the region, is the final RMAC squad in the top 25 nationally in 15th, down two spots from last week.
RMAC teams lay claim to the next three spots in the region. New Mexico Highlands is ranked seventh, followed by Nebraska-Kearney and UC-Colorado Springs, in order. Minnesota-Duluth finishes off the region’s top 10, after not appearing last week.
Last Saturday, the Grizzlies sent a ‘B’ squad to Gunnison, Colo. for the Western State Mountaineer Open. ASC placed second, and was led by juniors Jordan Patterson (Sherman, Ill.) and Antoine, Malarte (Aix-les-Bans, France), who placed eighth and ninth.
Next up for ASC is a trip to Stillwater, Okla. for the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree. There, the Grizzlies ‘A’ squad will go up against the Mountaineers’ top runners for the second time this season, while also facing Division I’s top-ranked Oklahoma State men’s team, along with other top competition from D-I.