M. Cross Country

The Mocs Are Still Ranked Second in the USTFCCCA Division II South Region Rankings

NEW ORLEANS – There was a lot of shuffling in the second week of the NCAA Division II South Region rankings that are compiled by the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) but the Moccasin Men’s Cross Country squad didn’t budge from their second place ranking after a week of inactivity.

FSC, who won the Tampa Early Bird Classic to open the season and finished second at the Jim Ryun Invitational, is the highest of four ranked Sunshine State Conference members in the top-ten of the poll. Nova Southeastern follows the Moccasins at third, while Florida Tech and Tampa both fall two spots to eighth and ninth respectively. 

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, while West Georgia jumps five spots to No. 4 in the poll after being ranked ninth after the week one release. West Alabama jumps to No. 6, as West Florida falls three spots to No. 7. Christian Brothers saw no movement as well and stayed rooted in the No. 10 spot in this week’s release.

The Mocs have run in three events this season, most recently in the UF Mountain Dew Invitational where they finished eighth out of 17 teams and were the fourth highest finishing non-Division I school.

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 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, who did not run this past week, will continue its 2012 season this weekend as they travel to compete at the Saint Leo Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 29.