Follow our 2018 FloXC Countdown, where FloTrack ranks the top 25 cross country teams and individuals in the NCAA this season which will be LIVE on FloTrack. The No. 1 men’s spot goes to Northern Arizona, and here's why:

Probable Top Seven:

SR Matt Baxter (13:31 5K; 28:10 10K; 2nd at ’17 NCAA XC)

SR Tyler Day (13:40 5K; 28:04 10K; 3rd at ’17 NCAA XC)

SR Peter Lomong (14:09 5K; 8th at ’17 NCAA XC)

FR Brodey Hasty (4:00 Mile; 8:00 3K; 2nd at ’17 NXN)

JR Geordie Beamish (3:41 1500; 13:53 5K; 40th at ’17 NCAA XC)

SO Luis Grijalva (3:41 1500; 13:49 5K; 60th at ’17 NCAA XC)

SO Blaise Ferro (13:50 5K)

Impact Freshmen/Transfers:

Brodey Hasty via Brentwood, TN (4:00 Mile; 8:00 3K; 2nd at ’17 NXN)

Analysis:

The two-time defending champions return five of their top six from 2017 and add in the top high school recruit in the country to give the Lumberjacks the most talented roster in the NCAA.

NAU brings back three men who placed in the top 10 in Louisville in seniors Matt Baxter, Tyler Day, and Peter Lomong. Baxter challenged Justyn Knight all the way to line at nationals last fall, and he along with Tyler Day represent the best cross country duo in 2018. They could be the first teammates to go 1-2 at NCAAs since Edward Cheserek and Eric Jenkins did it for Oregon back in 2014.

Peter Lomong’s eighth place finish in 2017 was a huge shocker to many, as he didn’t even make the nationals roster when Northern Arizona won in 2016. A so-so track season has caused Lomong’s stock to slip since his breakout run in Louisville, but this team is deep enough to win for the third straight year even if he can’t replicate his finish in 2018.

Most freshmen wouldn’t be good enough to crack the top five of this incredible group, but Brodey Hasty isn’t most freshmen. The 4:00 miler fell into NAU’s lap after he got his release from Oregon, and a reasonable expectation for the 2017 NXN runner-up is a top 40 finish in Madison. The Lumberjacks didn’t need Hasty to win again in 2018, but they’ll sure take him.

Geordie Beamish and Luis Grijalva give NAU two more potential All-Americans. Beamish, a junior from New Zealand, was 40th last fall, while Grijalva finished 60th as a true freshman. Grijalva had a tremendous first track season in the spring, and he should improve mightily this fall.

Winning three NCAA XC titles in a row would be an incredible feat for this team in an era of parity in Division I cross country. The last three men’s teams that have had a shot at the trifecta— Oregon in 2009, Oklahoma State in 2011, and Colorado in 2015— have finished runner-up in their quests for a three-peat, and a deep BYU squad could play the role of spoilers for Northern Arizona this season.

But so far, there are no dents in the Lumberjacks’ armor. A three-peat looks imminent. 

FULL RANKINGS HERE