USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll
NEW ORLEANS -- For the first time since 2018, the Christopher Newport men's cross country team earned a spot in the USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll as the Captains were slotted 35th in the most recent rankings, which were released on Wednesday afternoon by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Christopher Newport earned 16 points in the poll to lock down a spot in the top-35. Overall, the 2021 Captains join an illustrious group of nationally-ranked teams in Christopher Newport history. The squad was ranked every year between 2015 and 2018, highlighted by a third-place finish at the 2017 National Championships. Meanwhile, the 1984 and 1994 teams also cracked the top-35, while the 2014 squad received votes throughout the year.
In the most recent poll, Christopher Newport was joined by two other programs from the South Region. Emory was slotted ninth in Wednesday's rankings, while Lynchburg came in 20th. Additionally, fellow Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference member UC Santa Cruz placed 31st in the poll.
The Captains earned national acclaim following an impressive showcase at the prestigious Paul Short Run. On Friday at Lehigh's Goodman Cross Country Course, Christopher Newport placed eighth in the Brown 8k. During that race, the team beat 15 Division I programs as well as a pair of nationally-ranked Division III squads.
On an individual level,
Clark Edwards placed 33rd in the race after finishing in 25:33.2. That marked the 18th-fastest clocking in program history. Not to be outdone, two other runners also made their mark on the all-time charts.
Nathanael Ferrante completed the race in 25:39.9, while
Daniel Ferrante crossed the line in 25:43.3. Those clockings rank 21st and 25th in school history, respectively.
In addition to their eighth-place finish at the Paul Short Run, the Captains posted a victory at the CNU Invitational on September 18 and placed third overall - and first among Division III programs - during the Spider Alumni Open on September 4.
Christopher Newport will return to action on October 16 when the team heads to Logan Township, New Jersey for the Inter-Regional Border Battle.
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