UW & WSU squads hold positions in latest USTFCCCA poll; Kerr among World Athletics nominees for men's AOY...
NEW ORLEANS--There were no major changes in either the men's or women's USTFCCCA NCAA Division I cross country coaches' polls heading into this Friday's Nuttycombe Invitational in Verona, Wisconsin.
The University of Washington men's team (UW Athletics photo) remains at number 13, while Washington State holds at number 17. Both teams were off last weekend.
New Mexico, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Alabama, and Oregon remain the nation's top five men's teams.
Big Ten teams in the national top 30 include number 12 Wisconsin, number 18 Michigan State, and number 27 Michigan. Utah State at number 28 is the only other team besides Washington State representing the Pac-12.
The women's poll has Washington State holding at number 17, while Washington stays at number 23.
The nation's top five women's teams are in order: NC State, BYU, Northern Arizona, New Mexico, and Iowa State.
Big Ten teams ranked in the top 30 include number 7 Oregon, number 21 Minnesota, number 22 Northwestern, and number 29 Penn State. Boise State is the other Pac-12 school ranked in the top 30, coming in at number 30.
Both Gonzaga teams will join Washington and Washington State at the Nuttycombe Invitational.
Before the conference championships at the end of the month, the Nuttycombe and Dellinger Invitationals this Friday, along with the Pre Nationals in Terre Haute, the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, the Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, and the Weis-Crockett Invitationals in Stillwater next weekend will have major implications for teams positioning themselves for at-large berths to the national championships, as well as national ranking positions.
The USTFCCCA release is available here.
PRO NEWS...
Josh Kerr (Paul Merca photo) of the Brooks Beasts is one of ten men's nominees for the 2026 World Athletics Athlete Of the Year award.
In 2026, Kerr won the world indoor title in the 3000 meters, then broke the 27 year old world record in the mile at the London Diamond League meet, where he ran 3:26.66 in the highly publicized "Project 222" that he and Seattle based Brooks Running promoted at the end of March.
Kerr capped off his season by winning both the Commonwealth Games title in the mile, and the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in the 1500 meters.
He joins Kenny Bednarek, Kristjan Čeh, Andy Díaz Hernández, Alison dos Santos, Mondo Duplantis, Collen Kebinatshipi, Rumesh Pathirage, Sabastian Sawę, and Ja'Kobe Tharp as the nine other men's semifinalists.
The top three will be announced on November 10th and 11th, and invited to Monaco for the World Athletics Awards on November 29th.
Gonzaga alum Rosina Machu has joined the Boston Athletic Association pro team, according to a release from the BAA.
“Rosina is coming off a strong career at Gonzaga where she was consistently among top finishers at the NCAA Championships,” said Mark Carroll, the BAA’s Director of Performance and Head Coach.
Rosina will represent the BAA at the Boston 10K for Women on October 11 and in cross country throughout the fall.
Machu capped her collegiate career at Gonzaga with 11th and 20th place finishes at the 2026 NCAA championships in the 10000m and 5000m. In 2025 she finished seventh in the NCAA 10000m and qualified for the USA National Championships. She earned All-American honors in the 5000m, 10000m and in cross country.
Machu twice was West Coast Conference champion and named WCC Runner of the Year. She holds Gonzaga University school records at distances from the 1500m through the 10000m.
She joins fellow Zag James Mwaura on the BAA squad.
NOTE: The USTFCCCA, World Athletics, and the Boston Athletic Association contributed to this report.
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