KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In the final NAIA Top 25 Rating of the year, the Mountaineers’ Men’s Cross Country Team returned to the No. 5 spot, matching their highest rating of the season. With 499 points, EOU leads all CCC teams in the rankings, coming as no surprise after clinching a CCC Championship.
“We’re very happy with the men entering Nationals as the 5th ranked team,” said head coach Ben Welch. “Very proud of this group and all the hard work they have put in and excited to see where they end up! This has been a remarkably consistent team this fall and they have worked very, very hard to get to this point.”
This year’s appearance will mark the 29th time the Mounties have made it to the national championship as a team. Their best performance came in 2002 when they finished second in the nation.
Eastern will also look to gain some individual awards and add to its 38 cross country All-American total. EOU’s last All-American was Travis Running in 2021.
The CCC has excelled this season, leading the NAIA with the inclusion of five full teams and three individual athletes in the Cross Country Championships. Eastern Oregon University secured the automatic bid as CCC Champions, while No. 7 College of Idaho, No. 15 Lewis-Clark State College, and No. 17 Corban University each earned at-large bids. Multnomah University received the CCC’s host berth.
After clinching their CCC leading 13th conference title last week, the Mounties now sit poised to contend for a national title at the 68th Annual Men’s Cross Country Championship in Vancouver, Washington on November 17.
Men’s Cross Country Team Holds 5th Place Ranking Ahead of NAIA Championships
