After their performance at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational in Chicago, Ill., Cal Poly Men’s Cross Country received national attention in the Week 3 USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll.
The team received two votes from Tuesday’s poll, marking the third straight year they have received national votes during the season.
Besides the top 30 nationally ranked teams, nine unranked teams, including the Mustangs, received votes.
Only four out of nine unranked teams received more votes than Cal Poly: Montana State (6), Michigan State (8), Wyoming (10), and Gonzaga (14).
The Mustang men raced in a very competitive field on Friday, finishing fourth with 165 team points behind No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 12 Alabama, and No. 18 Butler.
Their fourth-place finish was in large part due to graduate student Davis Bove, who streaked to a sixth-place finish in his season debut with an 8K personal best of 22:56.41.
Bove was awarded the Big West Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week with a strong showing in his first race of the season.
This is the second time Bove has won the award, the last coming on Oct. 17 of last year.
After a phenomenal first season for Cal Poly in which he won Big West Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year, Bove is in full gear for his final season of eligibility as a graduate student.
Three other Mustangs placed inside the top 50 in sophomore Chris Caudillo (29th), redshirt junior Aidan McCarthy (34th) and redshirt freshman Rory Catsimanes (43rd). The entire top seven for the Mustangs placed 62nd or higher.
McCarthy and senior Anthony Guerra (59th) both made their season debut as well, meaning the Mustang men are now very close to full strength.
With most of their top runners now in action, Cal Poly will be looking to make more noise on the national level when they race at the NCAA Pre-Nationals on Oct. 19, the site of this year’s NCAA Cross Country Championship.