M. Cross Country
Mocs Ranked Eighth in Week Four USTFCCA South Region Poll
NEW ORLEANS – Florida Southern has dropped out of the top of the South Region rankings in the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll. Following a ninth place finish at the Florida State Invitational and a fifth place finish at the Saint Leo Invitational the Mocs slide in the polls continues after falling this week to the eighth spot in the South Region standings.
FSC, who won the Tampa Early Bird Classic to open the season and finished second at the Jim Ryun Invitational, is one of five Sunshine State Conference members in the top-ten of the poll. Florida Tech is the highest ranked SSC school at No. 2 in the poll. Tampa gains two spots this week and jumps to sixth overall while Nova Southeastern falls three spots to seventh. Rounding out the poll this week is Saint Leo who jumped into this week’s poll after not being ranked previously this season.
The USTFCCCA NCAA Division II region poll will be released every week during the regular season. The poll ranks the Top 10 men’s and women’s cross country teams in each of the eight NCAA regions. Eight regional representatives coordinate the voting in their own region with input from the coaches.
Alabama-Huntsville, who was the region preseason favorite, stays at No. 1 in the USTFCCCA South Region poll. West Alabama jumps three schools to the third spot to give them their highest region ranking this season. Morehouse continues their climb and gains one spot to fourth while West Florida jumped two spots to fifth. After dropping out of the top-ten the previous week Christian Brothers jumps back into the foray in the No. 9 spot.
The Mocs have run in five events this season, most recently in the Florida State Invitational.
Florida Southern has been lead by junior runners Chris Yanichko (Grove City, Ohio) and David Tomchinsky (Englewood, Fla.). Yanichko opened the season with a second place finish at the UT Early Bird after running the four mile event in 20:27 and a 31st place finish at the UF Invitational with a season best time of 26:15.97 on the 8k course. Tomchinsky has almost matched his teammate step for step as he finished third at the UT Early Bird with a time of 20:46 and running a 26:35.48 for a 43rd place overall finish at the UF Invitational.
The Mocs will be looking to take the back the throne of cross country powerhouse in the SSC at the Sunshine State Conference Tournament in Winter Haven on Oct. 20. Last year was the first time in 15 years that the Mocs did not leave the event with a first place finish.
