KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After two strong weeks of competition, both Eastern Oregon cross country teams have earned spots in the latest NAIA Top 25 ratings. The Mountaineer men climbed to No. 12, while the women landed at No. 18.
The EOU men began the year ranked 11th in the preseason poll, but dropped out after their opening meet. However, the early setback sparked a turnaround as the team surged from receiving votes to No. 12 with 359 total points.
Over the past two meets, the men have been on an absolute tear, consistently placing among the top NAIA runners. At Willamette University's Charles Bowles Invitational, they finished just three points behind No. 11 Trinity Western and topped then-No. 9 Corban—both of which have since dropped in the rankings. The Mounties followed that performance with a dominant showing at the LC State Invitational, finishing as the top NAIA team behind only three NCAA Division I programs.
Thomas Ogden has led the way all season, serving as Eastern's top finisher in every meet. His efforts earned him his first NAIA National Runner of the Week honor on Tuesday.
Within the Cascade Collegiate Conference, the Mountaineers now sit behind No. 4 College of Idaho and No. 9 Southern Oregon. Corban and Lewis-Clark State are both receiving votes.
On the women's side, EOU slipped slightly from No. 16 to No. 18 with 205 total points. The Mounties were the second-highest NAIA team at Charles Bowles, finishing behind only No. 8 College of Idaho while comfortably beating No. 20 SOU. They followed that up with a sixth-place finish at LCSC, placing ahead of the No. 23-ranked Warrior hosts.
Riley Morris has been the standout for Eastern Oregon. She was recognized as this week's CCC McDonald's Runner of the Week for her performance in Lewiston, which featured a 38-second personal best as she crossed the finish line ahead of all her NAIA opponents.
Throughout the conference, the Yotes hold at No. 9, while LC State and Southern Oregon trail the Mountaineers at No. 22 and No. 23, respectively.
Next up, EOU will close out the regular season at the George Oja Invitational hosted by Linfield University. The women's 6K begins at 9 a.m., followed by the men's 8K at 10 a.m., on Saturday, October 18, in Independence, Oregon.
Men's National Ratings |
Women's National Ratings
