Taylor Trends Up to No. 9 Ahead of NAIA Nationals

2024 MXC National Championship Qualifers | NAIA MXC Top-25 Poll (Final)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Taylor men's cross country team (74-13) recently moved up one spot to No. 9 in the final NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Rating, making it 75 straight appearances in the poll for the program. The final poll comes on the heels of TU officially securing its spot in the 36-team field at the 2024 NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship on Nov. 22.

The Trojans have oscillated somewhere between No. 6 and No. 10 in the ratings all season long, a spot that puts them neck-and-neck with Crossroads League foes, No. 7 Spring Arbor and No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan.

The Crossroads League features an NAIA-high five teams competing in the national field, with No. 17 Marian and No. 24 Grace joining the aforementioned top-10 squads.

At the CL Championships on Nov. 8, Taylor placed third in a competitive race as it finished within 12 points of the champion, SAU, and the runner-up, IWU. The Trojans finished with three All-Crossroads League honorees – Luke Harber, Ryan Hanak and Joel Mumaw – a trio that headlines a strong junior class that will largely dictate how TU closes its season at the national meet.

The NAIA National Championships will be held for the first time in Columbia, Missouri, where the No. 9 Taylor men will race at 11:30 a.m. EST/10:30 a.m. CST on Nov. 22.