Contact: Taiah Gallisath-Poklop, Associate Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5302
 
Oct. 15, 2026 – For the second consecutive week, the North Central College men's cross country team maintained its No. 11 position in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III national rankings, released Wednesday.
 
The Cardinals have not competed since Oct. 3, when the team split into three squads for the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic and the Brissman-Lundeen Invitational.
 
With many Division III programs competing at Pre-Nationals in Northfield, Minn., on Oct. 3 to preview the site of this year's NCAA Division III Championships, the following week offered teams an opportunity to recover and prepare for the final stretch of the regular season.

For the first time this season, the Division III national rankings remained unchanged from No. 1 through No. 25 as teams turn their attention to the upcoming weekend. Wartburg College retained the top spot, followed by SUNY Geneseo and Johns Hopkins University. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse ranked fourth, while New York University rounded out the top five.

North Central will race on Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Augustana Interregional Invitational in Rock Island, Ill. The men's race is set for an 11 a.m. start at the Saukie Golf and Cross Country Course.