2023 XC Nationals: Men's Team Preview
November 8th, 2023
All three 2022 podium teams head into the 2023 National Championship with Regional Championship victories, but there remains several other favorites to push these returning contenders from their podium spots.
The Regional Champions
The lowest team score from any Regional Champion was just 17 points from Virginia Tech. In addition to their top 5 finishing 1-2-3-5-6 in the race, their 6th and 7th runners finished 7th and 8th overall. That is extremely impressive depth, which was also exhibited by their 1-5 gap of just 41 seconds, the lowest of any regional champion over the 8k distance. Virginia Tech returns 3 runners from their 3rd place team at the 2022 National Championships, and after their performance at Regionals, it would be surprising if they didn’t improve on that finish this year in Shelbyville.
Michigan achieved the lowest average time over 8k of any team at Regionals, with their top 5 averaging 25:25 with a relatively small 1-5 gap of 44 seconds. Led by Jorden Sowash’s Regional victory in 24:59, their Regional victory was similarly dominant to Virginia Tech’s with a team score of just 19 points. With seven runners in the top nine at the Great Lakes Regional, Michigan should be a favorite to fight towards the top of the podium.
Cal Poly is coming off of a runner-up finish at the 2022 National Championships, their second such finish in the past four championships. They won the Pacific Regional with a 1-5 runner gap of 28 seconds over the 4 mile distance in which their top 5 averaged a time of 21:58. They return two runners from their 2022 National Championship runners-up team, and also add Turner Hayes who won the Freshman/Sophomore race in Richmond last year. With five runners in the top eight at the historically strong (although slightly smaller field) at the Pacific Region, Cal Poly looks like a contender for another podium finish and potentially their first National Championship.
Back-to-back defending National Champions Northeastern are coming off the most dominant victory by a men’s team at any NIRCA XC National Championship with their 128 point margin of victory last year in the team race. However, their result in the Northeast Region shows some signs of vulnerability this year. Despite a Regional victory, Northeastern’s average time (26:50), 1-5 runner gap (1:47), and Regional team score (41 points) are not as dominant as some of the other Regional Champions. They return two runners from last year’s National Champion team, and will need strong races from both of their returning All-Americans to go for three straight titles in Shelbyville this weekend, a feat that has never been accomplished in the men’s team race.
Wisconsin won the Great Plains Regional in an average time of 27:38 on what was likely a slower course than some other regions, but displayed strong depth with a 1-5 runner gap of 52 seconds. They appear to be one of the youngest teams contending for a podium spot with 6 underclassmen racing on their Championship race team. Wisconsin did not race in Richmond last year, but they did secure their regional victory over last year’s 4th place team (Illinois) with a team score of 33 to Illinois’s 58.
In the Southeast, North Carolina emerged as Regional Champions in what was the closest regional race on the men’s side (48 points to Tennessee's 59). It does appear that North Carolina will be without a few of their leading runners from the Southeast Regional race this weekend, so will need strong races across the rest of their team to make it on the podium for their first time since winning the inaugural NIRCA XC National Championships back in 2006.
The Top Returners:
All 3 podium teams from the 2022 National Championships secured Regional Championship titles this year and are detailed above. The 4th and 5th place teams from 2022 (Illinois and Purdue, respectively) both finished second in their regions and are likely the next teams looking-in to run onto the podium in Shelbyville.
Prediction: Two years ago we saw the closest men’s team race in NIRCA Championship history, which was followed by the least close race last year in Richmond. It’s easy to say that this one will likely be somewhere between those two results. Due to sheer dominance at their respective Regionals, Michigan and Virginia Tech look like the overall favorites. While Michigan averaged a faster time, times do not mean much when comparing different cross country courses. Both teams scored less than 20 points in historically strong regions, both teams return 3 runners from their 2022 Championship race teams, and both teams showcased incredible depth at Regionals with 1-5 gaps within 3 seconds of each other and strong 6th and 7th runners. Due to Virginia Tech achieving the lower team score in an even larger field at their Regional Championship, they might have the edge on paper going into this weekend.
1st - Virginia Tech
2nd - Michigan
3rd - Cal Poly
2023 Regional Champions
| Region | Champion | Average Time | 1-5 Runner Gap |
| Great Lakes | Michigan | 25:25 | 0:44 |
| Great Plains | Wisconsin | 27:38 | 0:52 |
| Mid-Atlantic | Virginia Tech | 26:10 | 0:41 |
| Northeast | Northeastern | 26:50 | 1:47 |
| Southeast | North Carolina | 27:18 | 1:16 |
| Pacific* | Cal Poly | 21:58* | 0:28 |
* = 4mi course
Team Championship History
| Year | National Champ | Runner-Up | 3rd Place |
2022 | Northeastern (60) | Cal Poly (188) | Virginia Tech (199) |
2021 | Northeastern (115) | Michigan (128) | Illinois (140) |
2019 | Penn State (93) | Purdue (127) | Northeastern (168) |
2018 | Michigan (89) | Cal Poly (111) | UC, Davis (144) |
2017 | Iowa State (39) | Penn State (94) | Oregon (97) |
2016 | Oregon (52) | UC Davis (69) | Penn State (108) |
2015 | UC Davis (106) | Penn State (125) | Indiana (149) |
2014 | Indiana (23) | Michigan (149) | Illinois (162) |
2013 | Indiana (66) | Iowa State (93) | Penn State (114) |
2012 | Oregon (42) | Indiana (65) | Iowa State (115) |
2011 | Illinois (87) | Iowa State (115) | Virginia (128) |
2010 | Michigan (63) | Wisconsin (100) | Virginia (101) |
2009 | Wisconsin (62) | Illinois (105) | Michigan (128) |
2008 | Wisconsin (35) | Oregon (89) | Michigan (99) |
2007 | Oregon (42) | Michigan (47) | Illinois (102) |
2006 | North Carolina (54) | Illinois (62) | Michigan (74) |
Top 10 All-Time Team Averages at NIRCA Nationals
| Rank | Team | Average Time | Year | Nationals Course |
1 | Illinois | 25:04 | 2011 | McAlpine Creek Park |
2 | Iowa State | 25:20 | 2011 | McAlpine Creek Park |
3 | Delaware | 25:22 | 2011 | McAlpine Creek Park |
4 | Minnesota | 25:23 | 2011 | McAlpine Creek Park |
5 | Virginia | 25:24 | 2011 | McAlpine Creek Park |
6 | Indiana | 25:39 | 2011 | McAlpine Creek Park |
T7 | Penn State | 25:44 | 2019 | Pole Green Park |
T7 | Oregon | 25:44 | 2011 | McAlpine Creek Park |
9 | Iowa State | 25:45 | 2017 | Forest Akers Golf Course |
10 | Northeastern | 25:47 | 2021 | Blue River XC Course |
Written by: Patrick Kenney
Patrick Kenney, NIRCA