Surprising Johnnies Enter D3 Poll at #21

The St. John's University men's cross country team, the surprise automatic qualifiers from the NCAA Division III Central Regional where they finished runner-up to Nebraska Wesleyan 130-139, are ranked #21 in the final US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll released Monday.

The Johnnies, who finished just 5th at the MIAC Championships two weeks before, make their first appearance in the national top-35 this season.

MIAC Champion St. Olaf, third at the Central Region with 148 points and an at-large qualifier to the NCAA Division III Championships in Hanover, Indiana on Saturday, is ranked #25 in the final poll.

Full D3 men's rankings are HERE.

Inside the Numbers ... St. John's, which scored 116 points at the MIAC Championship on November 1, scored 84 points against MIAC competition at the Central Region. Four of the team's five scorers moved up in the MIAC pack -- by an average of 8.5 places -- while only one lost ground, and then only a single MIAC place.

St. Olaf actually outscored the Johnnies by a point in the MIAC-only version of the meet, tallying 83 points. At the actual MIAC meet, the Oles scored 75 points. The Ole top-5 was also a half-second faster than the Johnnie scorers at regions -- 2:12:21.8 to 2:22.3.

Central Region men's results are found HERE.

MIAC men's results can be found HERE.

Tommie Women #13 ... In women's rankings, St. Thomas, an at-large qualifier to nationals after a 3rd place finish in the Central Region, tops Minnesota squads with a #13 ranking. Fellow at-large qualifiers Bethel and Carleton, 4th and 5th at regions, are ranked #22 and #27.

The Tommies, who won the MIAC meet by 2 points over Bethel, with Carleton just another three points behind, scored 117 points at regions. Bethel tallied 165; Carleton scored 170.

Central Region women's results are found HERE.

MIAC women's results can be found HERE.

Full D3 women's rankings are HERE.