Early season rankings a reshuffle of last year's NCAA men's final

By Adam Schneider of DyeStat

The men’s NCAA Division 1 cross country rankings are always difficult to determine early because teams don’t race a lot of 8,000-or 10,000-meter races. Most athletes only race 10,000 meters twice and some only compete once at that distance.

Past results and coaching history, on the courses and the track, are the best way to establish a pecking order.

Last year, Oregon had the top returners and wound up ninth and Northern Arizona ran off with the title.

Adaptations to cooling temperatures during the long season and the management of accumulated stresses play a major factor in performance. The winner of the NCAA Championships will also be prepared to race well on the Louisville course.

Last year, the conditions at Indiana State’s championship course were tough with near-freezing temperatures and gusts of up to 40 miles per hour that hit the finish of the women’s race. 

In 2015, the Tom Sawyer Park course favored track speedsters and might again this fall.  

There are a number of questions about many teams. Colorado was sixth last year, an abnormally low performance for the coaching team of Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs. This spring, Colorado improved significantly on the track in part due to the opening of an indoor practice facility.

Northern Arizona saw significant improvement for all of its runners last year.

Arkansas lacked a fifth scorer last year, but two redshirts are likely to change the Razorbacks' prospects.

Syracuse and Stanford will need to develop replacements for graduated runners. These five teams are the early favorites earn a trophy or win the title.

Top 20 (2016 NCAA finish)

1. Colorado (6)

2. Arkansas (5)

3. Northern Arizona (1)

4. Syracuse (3)

5. Stanford (2)

6. Iona (10)

7. Furman (N/A)

8. BYU (7)

9. Wisconsin (8)

10. Virginia (18)

11. Oklahoma State (12)

12. Oregon (9)

13. Alabama (N/A)

14. Washington State (14)

15. Colorado State (17)

16. Iowa State (16)

17. Southern Utah (27)

18. Middle Tennessee State (28)

19. Princeton (N/A)

20. Portland (13)

Watch list:

Boise State

Washington

UCLA

Georgetown

Mississippi

Michigan

Tulsa