The NCAA Division II men's cross country championships (previously the NCAA College Division cross country championships, from 1958 to 1973) are contested at an annual meet organized by the NCAA to determine the team and individual national champions of men's collegiate cross country running among its Division II members in the United States and Canada. It has been held every fall, usually in November, since breaking off from the NCAA University Division Men's Cross Country Championships in 1958.
Initially created for cross country programs from smaller universities and colleges, a third championship, the NCAA Division III men's cross country championships, split away in 1973 when the NCAA created its current three-division structure.
Adams State have been the most successful program, with 13 national titles.
The defending national teams champions are Wingate, who won their second national title in 2025.
Adams State's Kidus Begashaw is the reigning individual champion.
Format The field for the championship race has ranged in size from a low of 11 teams in 1959 to a high of 59 teams in 1972. From 1983 to 1999 the field was fixed at 17 teams. Beginning in 2000, the national championship race has included 24 teams. Teams compete in one of eight regional championships to qualify. In addition to the 24 teams, 16 individual runners qualify for the national championship.2010 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships Handbook .
The race distance from 1958 to 1967 was . From 1968 to 1975 the race distance was . Since 1976 the race distance has been
The event record for the 10,000 meter distance is 28:04.00, set by Shane Healy of Adams State Grizzlies in 1994.
Results The race distance was 4 miles from 1958 to 1967, 5 miles from 1968 to 1975, and 10,000 meters (10 kilometers) from 1976 to the present. NCAA Division II Men's Cross Country Championship(NCAA College Division Men's Cross Country Championship, 1958–1973)Year Site(Host Team)Championship ResultsIndividual ChampionshipChampionPointsRunner-upPointsWinner(Team)Time1958DetailsWheaton, IL(Wheaton)Northern Illinois90 South Dakota State93Paul Whiteley(Emporia State)20:45.0†1959DetailsSouth Dakota State67 Emporia State7523:01.61960DetailsCentral State (OH)72Mankato State109John Mulholland(Loras)20:28.3†1961DetailsSouthern Illinois33South Dakota State8220:06.0†1962DetailsCentral State (OH) (2)77Northern Illinois96Leslie Hegedus(Central State–OH)19:59.1†1963DetailsEmporia State44Akron174John Camien(Emporia State)19:16.91964DetailsKentucky State95Northeast Missouri State105Ed Schneider(Northeast Missouri State) 19:43.91965DetailsSan Diego State55Eastern Michigan164Gene Takle(Luther)19:38.91966DetailsSan Diego State (2)58Western Illinois184Bob Fitts(Cortland State) 19:40.61967DetailsSan Diego State (3)66Cal Poly Pomona133Arjan Gelling(North Dakota)19:33.5The race distance changes from 4 miles to 5 miles 1968DetailsWheaton, IL(Wheaton)Eastern Illinois99Mankato State130Dave Robbins(Portland State)25:14.00†1969DetailsEastern Illinois (2)84Eastern Michigan146Ron Stonitsch(C.W. Post) 24:53.00†1970DetailsEastern Michigan100Cal State Fullerton124Mark Covert(Cal State Fullerton)25:13.001971DetailsCal State Fullerton147North Dakota State81Mike Slack(North Dakota State)24:19.00†1972DetailsNorth Dakota State84South Dakota State14324:36.001973DetailsSouth Dakota State (2)88Southwest Missouri State93Garry Bentley(South Dakota State)23:49.00†1974DetailsSpringfield, MO(Southwest Missouri State)Southwest Missouri State112South Dakota State13023:33.801975DetailsNorthridge, CA(Cal State Northridge) UC Irvine 59 Cal State Northridge 91Ralph Serna(UC Irvine)23:40.6The race distance changes from 5 miles to 10,000 meters 1976DetailsSpringfield, MO(Southwest Missouri State) UC Irvine (2) 50 Southwest Missouri State 73Ralph Serna(UC Irvine)29:42.00†1977DetailsChicago, IL(Illinois–Chicago) Eastern Illinois (3)37 South Dakota State151Michael Bollman(North Dakota State)30:08.701978DetailsIndiana, PA(Indiana of Pennsylvania) Cal Poly42165James Schankel(Cal Poly)30:34.001979DetailsRiverside, CA(UC Riverside) Cal Poly (2)45 Sacramento State10829:43.001980DetailsSomers, WI(Wisconsin–Parkside) Humboldt State115 UNC Pembroke120Garry Henry(UNC Pembroke)29:32.00†1981DetailsLowell, MA(Lowell) Millersville97Edinboro99Mark Conover(Humboldt State)31:45.701982DetailsSt. Cloud, MN(St. Cloud State)Eastern Washington84South Dakota State123Greg Beardsley(Edinboro)36:49.801983DetailsSomers, WI(Wisconsin–Parkside)Cal Poly Pomona86St. Cloud State100Brian Ferrari(California–PA)30:38.201984DetailsClinton, MS(Mississippi College)Southeast Missouri State87Edinboro129Michael Vanatta(Southeast Missouri State)29:55.001985DetailsEast Stroudsburg, PA(East Stroudsburg)South Dakota State (3)60108Samson Obwocha(East Texas State)30:49.401986DetailsRiverside, CA(UC Riverside)Edinboro56South Dakota State7930:52.001987DetailsEvansville, IN(Southern Indiana)Edinboro (2)95Mankato State113Charles Cheruiyot(Mount St. Mary's)30:42.001988DetailsClinton, MS(Mississippi College)Edinboro (3) &Mankato State77South Dakota StateDoug Hanson(North Dakota State)29:47.001989DetailsEast Stroudsburg, PA(East Stroudsburg)South Dakota State (4)97Edinboro102Rob Edson(Keene State)31:44.901990DetailsArcata, CA(Humboldt State)Edinboro (4)50Shippensburg125Doug Hanson(North Dakota State)29:18.80†1991DetailsEdwardsville, IL(SIU Edwardsville)UMass Lowell48Nebraska–Kearney96Martin Lyons(Edinboro)31:29.001992DetailsSlippery Rock, PA(Slippery Rock) Adams State 15 Western State56Phillip Castillo(Adams State)32:24.001993DetailsRiverside, CA(UC Riverside) Adams State (2)25 Edinboro103Shane Healy(Adams State)28:04.001994DetailsKearney, NE(Nebraska–Kearney) Adams State (3)55 Western State73Charles Mulinga(Lewis)30:59.901995DetailsSpartanburg, SC(USC Upstate)Western State69Central Missouri State9830:20.121996DetailsArcata, CA(Humboldt State)South Dakota State (5)119Lewis142Alexandr Alexin(Central Missouri State)31:23.601997DetailsSomers, WI(Wisconsin–Parkside)South Dakota78Central Missouri State83Elly Rono(Southern Indiana) 31:13.901998DetailsLawrence, KS(Kansas) Adams State (4)68 Western State74Yi Min Wu(Edinboro) 31:06.601999DetailsJoplin, MO(Missouri Southern State) Western State (2)27 Adams State95Michael Aish(Western State) 29:19.002000DetailsPomona, CA(Cal Poly Pomona) Western State (3)29 Abilene Christian62Alfred Rugema(Abilene Christian) 30:17.002001DetailsSlippery Rock, PA(Slippery Rock) Western State (4)3874Michael Aish(Western State) 30:52.602002DetailsAshland, OH(Cal Poly Pomona) Western State (5)3581Alfred Rugema(Abilene Christian) 30:43.702003DetailsCary, NC Adams State (5)4068Celedonio Rodriguez(Adams State) 30:25.602004DetailsEvansville, IN(Southern Indiana) Western State (6)39 Adams State76Nicodemus Naimadu(Abilene Christian)31:38.102005DetailsPomona, CA(Cal Poly Pomona) Western State (7)5110830:13.802006DetailsPensacola, FL Abilene Christian577029:17.502007DetailsJoplin, MO(Missouri Southern State) Abilene Christian (2)59 Adams State & Western State6629:37.702008DetailsSlippery Rock, PA(Slippery Rock) Adams State (6)67 Western State88Scott Bauhs(Chico State)30:23.002009DetailsEvansville, IN(Southern Indiana) Adams State (7)2386Reuben Mwei(Adams State)30:27.802010DetailsLouisville, KY(Bellarmine) Adams State (8)57102Michael Crouch(Queens–NC)30:43.202011DetailsSpokane, WA Western State (8)27 Adams State69Ryan Haebe(Western State)30:45.102012DetailsJoplin, MO(Missouri Southern State) Adams State (9)34 Colorado Mines102Micah Chelimo(Alaska–Anchorage) 28:56.602013DetailsSpokane, WA Adams State (10)54 Grand Valley State104 Tabor Stevens(Adams State) 29:50.102014DetailsLouisville, KY(Bellarmine) Adams State (11) 69 Grand Valley State 127 30:02.002015DetailsJoplin, MO(Missouri Southern State) Colorado Mines100 Adams State 127 Alfred Chelanga(Shorter) 29:24.62016DetailsTampa, FL(Saint Leo) Adams State (12) 54 Grand Valley State 79 Vincent Kiprop(Missouri Southern) 29:07.42017DetailsEvansville, IN(Southern Indiana) Adams State (13) 44 Grand Valley State 64 James Ngandu(Tiffin) 30:18.82018DetailsPittsburgh, PA(Clarion) Grand Valley State 89 Colorado Mines 99 Marcelo Laguera(CSU-Pueblo) 31:46.42019DetailsJoplin, MO(Missouri Southern State) Colorado Mines (2)57 Adams State 136 Ezra Mutai(American Int'l) 29:31.22020DetailsEvansville, IN(Southern Indiana)Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States2021DetailsTampa, FLGrand Valley State (2)43Adams State84Isaac Harding(Grand Valley State)29:58.32022DetailsSeattle, WA(Seattle Pacific)Colorado Mines (3)43Wingate177Dillon Powell(Colorado Mines)29:28.02023DetailsJoplin, MO(Missouri Southern State)Wingate70Colorado Mines 79William Amponsah(West Texas A&M)29:04.32024DetailsSacramento, CAColorado Mines (4)63Wingate6629:40.82025DetailsKenosha, WI(Wisconsin–Parkside)Wingate (2)62Adams State71Kidus Begashaw(Adams State)29:38.8 A † indicates a then-NCAA record-setting time for that particular distance. A time highlighted in ██ indicates the all-time NCAA championship record for that distance.
Champions Team titles
Team Titles Years 13 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 8 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2011 4 2015, 2019, 2022, 2024 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990 2 1960, 1962 2018, 2021 2023, 2025 1 1983 1980 1963 1964 1981 1988
Former Division II Team Titles Years 5 1959, 1973, 1985, 1989, 1996 3 1968, 1969, 1977 1965, 1966, 1967 2 2006, 2007 1975, 1976 1978, 1979 1 1971 1970 1982 1991 1974 1972 1958 1997 1984
Individual titles by team Rank Team Titles Years 7 1992, 1993, 2003, 2009, 2013, 2014 6 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 5 1971, 1972, 1977, 1988, 1990 3 1964, 2023, 2024 1982, 1991, 1998 1958, 1959, 1963 1999, 2001, 2011 2 1975, 1976 1978, 1979 1994, 1995 1960, 1961 1973, 1974 1985, 1986 1 2012 2019 2008 1970 1983 1996 1962 2022 2018 1966 2021 1981 1989 1969 1965 2016 1987 1980 1967 1968 2010 2015 1984 1997 2017 1964
Individual titles by runner Rank Runner Team Titles Years Nicodemus Naimadu 4 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Paul Whiteley 2 1958, 1959 John Mulholland 1960, 1961 Mike Slack 1971, 1972 Garry Bentley 1973, 1974 Ralph Serna 1975, 1976 James Schankel 1978, 1979 Samson Obwocha 1985, 1986 Doug Hanson 1988, 1990 Charles Mulinga 1994, 1995 Michael Aish 1999, 2001 Alfred Rugema 2000, 2002 Tabor Stevens 2013, 2014
See also NCAA Men's Cross Country Championships (Division I, Division III) NCAA Women's Cross Country Championships (Division I, Division II, Division III) Pre-NCAA Cross Country Champions NAIA Cross Country Championships (Men, Women)
References
External links NCAA Division II Men's Cross Country