The Northwest Missouri State University men's cross country team moved up two slots to No. 7 in the nation in this week's USTFCCCA national coaches' poll.
 
The Bearcats, under the direction of coach Wick Cunningham, are also the No. 1 rated squad in the Central Region.
 
USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll (Oct. 8, 2025)
1. Colorado School of Mines
2. Wingate
3. Adams State
4. Grand Valley State
5. Lee, Tenn.
6. Colorado Christian
7. Northwest Missouri State
8. Chico State
9. Western Colorado
10. Saginaw Valley State
11. West Texas A&M
12. UC-Colorado Springs
13. Pittsburg State
14. Western Washington
15. Cal Poly Pomona
16. Lewis
17. Fort Lewis
18. Northwest Nazarene
19. Michigan Tech
20. Washburn
21. Florida Southern
22. Charleston, W.Va.
23. Walsh
24. East Central
25. Ashland
26. Alabama-Huntsville
      Anderson, S.C.
28. Biola
29. Catawba
30. Shippensburg
 
En route to beating all Division II competition they were faced with at the Chile Pepper Festival, Northwest Missouri State placed three runners inside Division I No. 19 Arkansas's fifth man. Just business for the Bearcats who retain their No. 1 ranking this week. East Central (Okla.) recouped after a tough outing at the Southern Stampede to move up to No. 4. Missing two of their top-5, the Tigers finished seventh as a squad at the Chile Pepper Festival, defeating Central Region rivals Neb.-Kearney and Missouri Southern. Augustana slides into No. 5. 
 
Central Region Rankings (Oct. 7, 2025)
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Pittsburg State
3. Washburn
4. East Central
5. Augustana, S.D.
6. Nebraska-Kearney
7. Missouri Southern
8. Harding
9. Fort Hays State
10. Missouri Western