NIACC men ranked 3rd in second USTFCCCA poll
MASON CITY - The NIACC men's cross country team is ranked third in the second USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II poll released Wednesday.
NIACC was ranked No. 1 in the first poll of the season on Sept. 9.
Cowley CC (Kan.), which was ranked fourth in the initial poll, took over the top spot in this week's national poll. Allen County CC (Kan.), which was No. 3 in the first poll, is ranked second in this week's poll.
Hawkeye CC, which was ranked second in the first poll, is ranked fourth in this week's poll.
NIACC opened its season with a second-place finish at the Grand View Open on Sept. 5 at the DMACC campus in Ankeny.
Freshman Melvin Kipkemboi led the Trojans with a third-place finish in a time of 16 minutes, 2 seconds on the 5-kilometer course.
NIACC sophomore Jorge Ruiz was fifth in a time of 16:15 and sophomore Janvier Irakoze was 12th in 16:48. Sophomore Jalen Petersen was 17th in 17:06 and sophomore Stephen Ringo was 19th in 17:16.
NIACC also placed second at the Grand View Viking Invitational on Sept. 11. Kipkemboi placed seventh in 27:12. Other counting scores for the Trojans were Jorge Ruiz was ninth (27:17), Vicente Correia was 11th (27:41), Irakoze was 13th (27:48) and Petersen was 14th (27:50).
NIACC returns to action Friday at the Southwestern Spartan Classic in Creston.
USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II men's poll
Cowley CC (Kan.), Allen CC (Kan.), NIACC, Hawkeye CC, Wallace State CC (Ala.), Heartland CC (Ill.), Daytona State (Fla.), Metropolitian CC (Mo.), Marion Militiary Institute (Ala.), Grand Rapids CC (Mich.), Lake-Sumter State (Fla.), Moraine Valley CC (Ill.), Florida State-Jacksonville, Bryant & Stratton (Wis.), Kaskaskia (Ill.), Danville Area CC (Ill.), Jackson (Mich.), St. Clair County
CC (Mich.), Macomb CC (Mich.), Oakland CC (Mich.), Morton (Ill.), Harford CC (Md.), Mott CC (Mich.), Alpena CC (Mich.)
