NAU Men's XC Ties Modern Era Record for Weeks Atop USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll

USTFCCCA Men's National Coaches' Poll

NEW ORLEANS, La. (October 22, 2019) - History was made on Tuesday morning as the Northern Arizona men's cross country program tied the longest streak in modern era history as the No. 1 overall team in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) National Coaches' Poll.

This past weeks Nuttycombe Invitational victory made sure that the Lumberjacks remained the No. 1 team in NCAA Division I XC. 27 straight weeks ties them with the women from Johns Hopkins (2015 to 2017) and the men from North Central (Ill.) (2016 to present) for the longest consecutive streak atop an NCAA index in the modern era.

In the process of tying this record NAU has won three NCAA Division I national championships. In those three years NAU had 15 All-Americans. The Lumberjacks also won the Big Sky Conference's title each season and claimed the individual top spot in all three years as well (Futsum Zienaselleassie, 2016; Tyler Day, 2017; Matthew Baxter, 2018). Throughout NAU's streak as No. 1 they have placed first in every single meet.

2019 may be no different as the 'Jacks have won both national meets they have competed at this season. Both the John McNichols Invitational and Nuttycombe Invitational featured fields of multiple ranked teams and some of the best long distance runners in the country. At the John McNichols Invite NAU amassed a total of just 31 team points. NAU would follow that up with scoring 59 at Nuttcyombe, producing the second-largest spread in meet history.

At both meets NAU put at least three freshmen into the top-21. In Indiana the 'Jacks saw Theo Quax (4th, 24:03.1), Abdihamid Nur (5th, 24:04.0) and Brodey Hasty (6th, 24:04.5) each finish in the top-six. A few weeks later in Madison Nur (9th, 23:48.6), Quax (16th, 23:56.7) and true freshman Drew Bosley (21st, 23:59.4), who was racing in front of a home state crowd, scored low points for the 'Jacks yet again. 

Junior Luis Grijalva has not finished out of the top-five this season taking third at the George Kyte Classic and John McNichols Invitational, as well as fifth at Nuttycombe. Senior Geordie Beamish's lone race at Nuttycombe produced a top-ten finish coming in eighth at 23:48.5.

BYU was ranked No. 2 and was followed by a tie at No. 3 between Colorado and Stanford. Iowa State rounded out the top-five. Tulsa moved up 22 spots to No. 6 after coming in third at Nuttycombe.

As NAU heads into post season competition they will lace it up against conference rivals on Nov. 2 at the Big Sky Conference Championships in Greeley, Colo. NAU will be looking for its 29th XC conference title in school history. A win at conference would basically guarantee that NAU reaches 28 weeks as the No. 1 overall team.

Rival and fellow Big Sky school Southern Utah was also ranked in the latest poll coming in at No. 19. The Thunderbirds will look to be the 'Jacks main competition in Greeley.

The next NCAA Division I Men's National Coaches' Poll will be released on Tuesday, November 5, following Conference Championship Weekend. 

USTFCCCA Men's National Coaches' Poll

1. NAU
2. BYU
3. COLORADO
3. STANFORD
5. IOWA STATE
6. TULSA
7. WASHINGTON
8. IONA
9. PURDUE
10. UCLA
11. OLE MISS
12. PORTLAND
13, INDIANA
14. WISCONSIN
15. MIDDLE TENNESSEE
16. OREGON
17. MICHIGAN
18. BOISE STATE
19. SOUTHERN UTAH
20. NOTRE DAME
21. FLORIDA STATE
22. UTAH STATE
23. NC STATE
23. VIRGINIA
25. PRINCETON
26. VIRGINIA TECH
27. OKLAHOMA STATE
28. SYRACUSE
29. GONZAGA
30. TEXAS