Men's Cross Country Places 18th in National Preseason Poll

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's cross country team finds itself in the top 20 in the USTFCCCA Division III national preseason poll, coming in at No. 18, the organization announced today.

CMS returns six of its top seven runners, who helped the Stags tie for first at the NCAA Division III West Regionals and qualify for the NCAA Championships. CMS came in 27th at nationals, but holds out hope that it can have a higher finish this fall with most of its top athletes returning. 

Heading the way is a talented sophomore class, as four of the seven runners who competed at nationals last year were first-years. Miles Christensen was third at the NCAA West Regionals a year ago, and went on to win the SCIAC Championships in the 5000 for the track and field team in the spring. Kyril Van Schendel (12th) and Alexander Hirsch (15th) also earned All-Region honors in their first seasons with the Stags last fall, while Thomas Fleming placed 32nd and recorded one of the top 10 times in CMS history in the 10000 for the track and field team in the spring. 

Junior Stevie Steinberg was a top-10 finisher at the West Regionals as well (ninth) and figures to be a mainstay in the top group for the Stags this year. Fellow junior Will Kimball was in the top seven for CMS last season, coming in 41st (of 110) at the regionals, and will look to make another step forward this season. 

In addition to the top six returning, CMS also welcomes back senior Thomas D'Anieri, who did not compete last year while studying abroad. D'Anieri is the school record holder in the 5000 (and ranks second in the steeplechase) for the track and field team, and placed in the top 100 in the NCAA Championships (93rd) as a sophomore. His return will make the Stag roster in 2019 that much more potent. 

Joining D'Anieri in the senior class is Max Denning, Wilson Ives, and Brooks McDonald, as the quartet will look to provide the leadership to a young CMS squad (21 first-years and sophomores, compared to 12 juniors and seniors), while concluding their careers on a high note. Ives moved into the top 10 last year in the 1500 during track and field season. 

Junior Evan Hassman will be another name to watch this cross country season, after he earned All-America honors in the steeplechase during the spring, coming in seventh place at the NCAA Championships. In addition to Steinberg and Kimball, his classmates include Gage Hornung, Bennett Mountain, Arjun Natarajan, Luke Ostrander and Daniel Sealand.     

CMS gets its season started next weekend, when it competes at the Biola Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 7, beginning at 8 a.m.

To view the complete USTFCCCA Division III preseason poll, head to the following link: 

USTFCCCA Preseason Poll.