It goes without saying that strong 5K performances on the track tend to correlate with successful cross country seasons. But did you know that if a team's average track 5K PB ranks among the top five in the nation, that team's chances of making it to the podium at the NCAA cross country championship substantially increase?

In the past three years, all 12 men's teams made it to the podium had an average track 5K PB within the nation's top five.

Heading into the fall, here are the men's teams with the best track 5K PB averages:

2016 MEN'S TEAMS

1) 13:42 STANFORD (#1)
13:24 McGorty, 13:30 Fisher, 13:40 Keelan, 13:54 Sweatt, 13:58 Gibson

2) 13:48 SYRACUSE (#2)
13:26 Knight, 13:38 Bennie, 13:55 Aouani, 13:59 Palamar, 14:00 Germano

3) 13:49 OREGON (#3)
13:18 Cheserek, 13:43 Leingang, 13:55 Neuman, 14:00 Anderson, 14:08 Fernandez

4) 13:55 COLORADO (#6)
13:44 Klecker, 13:48 Dressel, 13:49 Saarel, 14:01 Forsyth, 14:10* Herrera

4) 13:55 NORTHERN ARIZONA (#9)
13:37 Zienasellassie, 13:55 Weitz, 13:56 Trouard, 13:58 Glines, 14:05 Day

4) 13:55 WISCONSIN (#8)
13:29 McDonald, 13:51 Schrobilgen, 14:00 Hardy, 14:06 Snider, 14:08 Sandvold

7) 13:56 WASHINGTON (#15)
13:35 Gilbert, 13:44 Huxham, 13:57 Stevens, 13:59 Gardner, 14:25 Moussa

8) 13:59 BYU (#14)
13:52 Linkletter, 13:53 Farnsworth, 13:53 McMillan, 14:04 Young, 14:13 Hanson

MEN'S PODIUM TEAMS FROM 2013-2015

YEAR	XC FINISH	SCHOOL	5K AVG	5K AVG RANK
2015	1	Syracuse	13:54	3rd
2015	2	Colorado	13:49	2nd
2015	3	Stanford	13:45	1st
2015	4	Oregon	13:56	4th
2014	1	Colorado	13:53	2nd
2014	2	Stanford	13:50	1st
2014	3	Portland	14:07	5th
2014	4	Northern Arizona	14:06	4th
2013	1	Colorado	14:03	2nd
2013	2	Northern Arizona	14:06	5th
2013	3	Oklahoma State	13:59	1st
2013	4	BYU	14:03	3rd

*For athletes without a 5K mark before the season began, their 5K mark was projected with related 3K/two-mile marks.

​Stay tuned for a women's statistical breakdown coming next week!