NIACC men ranked 13th in latest poll

MASON CITY - The NIACC men's cross country team is ranked No. 13 in the latest USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II rankings released Wednesday.

Paradise Valley CC is ranked first and Lansing CC is ranked second. DMACC is ranked 12th and Southeastern is ranked 16th.

NIACC, which was ranked ninth in the preseason poll released on Sept. 6, placed third at the sixth annual Trent Smith Invitational on Sept. 15. DMACC placed second at the Trent Smith Invite.

NIACC freshman Owen Almelien placed fourth at the Trent Smith Invitational. Almelien, who prepped at North Butler High School, covered the 8-kilometers on the NIACC campus in a time of 27 minutes, 6 seconds.

NIACC sophomore Bryson Canton was eighth in a time of 27:33. The Trojans' sophomore Breyden Christensen was 10th (27:36), freshman Joey Ringo was 12th (27:43) and sophomore Vlad Starrett was 22nd in a personal-best time of 29:31.

Also for the Trojans, freshman Chris Marroquin was 24th (29:43), sophomore Jacob Vais was 25th (29:53), freshman Eli Bergman was 26th (30:02) and sophomore Hugo Massa was 32nd (32:14).

NIACC returns to action Sept. 22 at the Roy Griak Invitational at the University of Minnesota.

USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II rankings (9-20-23) - Paradise Valley CC, Lansing CC, Mesa CC, Daytona State, Heartland CC, Cowley (Kan.), Wallace State CC, St. Clair County CC, Pasco-Hernando, Southwestern Michigan, Marion Military, DMACC, NIACC, Grand Rapids CC, Calhoun CC, Southeastern, Allen CC, Coconino CC, Macomb CC, Gadsen State CC, Northwestern Arkansas CC, Northeast Alabama CC, Kaskaskia (Ill.), Lake Sumter State, Walters State CC.