BOSTON – Less than a week out from its first race of 2025, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) unveiled the preseason edition of the NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country Regional Rankings with the Suffolk cross country team ranked ninth in the east, the national organization announced Tuesday.
It is the fourth consecutive campaign that the blue-and-gold appeared on the preseason regional list after being staples on the weekly poll since making the program's debut Sept. 14, 2021.
Suffolk landed ninth on the preseason regional poll for the first time since 2023. A year ago, the Rams were ranked seventh and took eighth in 2022.
Suffolk is one of two Conference of New England (CNE) programs to break into the preseason regional rankings as Roger Williams landed sixth on the Mideast Region list.
A year ago, the blue-and-gold was the conference's runner-up for the fourth straight season and tied the program's best finish at regionals with an eighth-place showing in Hopkinton, New Hampshire. Along the way two student-athletes were recognized with all-region honors and four captured all-league distinction.
The Rams are one of eight institutions in the east region to see both their men's and women's programs to be acknowledged on the regional preseason list as Suffolk's women's squad sits fourth.
The USTFCCCA Regional Cross Country Coaches' Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning team's strengths with current season results, when applicable, to determine a ranking-order by squad potential. Only USTFCCCA member programs are eligible to receive a ranking. The weekly ranking by the USTFCCCA began in 2010.
Suffolk's 2025 campaign is four days away as the Rams are set to host the Suffolk Short Course Classic Saturday, Aug. 30 at Highland Park in Attleboro, Massachusetts.