Follow our 2019 FloXC Countdown, where FloTrack ranks the top 10 cross country teams in NCAA DII/DIII this season. The 2019 NCAA Cross Country Championships will be LIVE on FloTrack for all three divisions. And be sure to watch our LIVE FloXC Podium Reveal Show Monday, Aug. 26, at 10 AM CT. The No. 8 DIII men’s spot goes to Johns Hopkins, and here's why:

Projected Top Five:

JR Jared Pangallozzi (30:14 10K; 12th at ‘18 NCAA XC)

JR Connor Delahanty (105th at ‘18 NCAA XC)

SR Andrew King (114th at ‘18 NCAA XC)

SR Vipul Bhat (3:56 1500; 115th at ‘18 NCAA XC)

SR PJ Murray (8:28 3K; 14:54 5K)

Impact Freshmen/Transfers:

Declan Hines via College of Charleston (8:29 3K; 14:52 5K)

Matt Kleiman via Concord, MA (3:50 1500; 6th at ‘18 MA State Meet)

Daniel Chen via Aurora, IL (4:15 1600; 8th at '18 IL State Meet)

Analysis:

The Johns Hopkins men return four of their top five from last year’s ninth-place NCAA team and add three talented newcomers, giving the 2019 Blue Jays an excellent shot to be the best team in school history. Eighth is JHU’s top finish ever at nationals, and this group has a ceiling well beyond that with a stud up front and plenty of depth.

Junior Jared Pangallozzi is Hopkins’ incumbent No. 1, and he’ll look to ride the momentum of his breakout sophomore season into year three. Pangallozzi went from 179th at NCAA XC as a freshman to 12th last year, one of the biggest jumps from one year to the next across all three divisions. He followed that up with his first NCAA outdoor appearance in the spring.

Coach Bobby Van Allen doesn’t have another runner nearly as accomplished as his All-American, but there’s room for growth among three men who ran on the NCAA team last fall and new faces Declan Hines, Matt Kleiman, and Daniel Chen. Senior Andrew King ran with Pangallozzi for much of season a year ago and even beat him on multiple occasions. He’s better than 114th for sure. Meanwhile, the DI transfer Hines and true freshmen Kleiman and Chen all have elite track times; the trio will each vie for a scoring role in 2019.

The women’s team at Johns Hopkins tends to command most of the attention, and for good reason, but this year the men will make some noise of their own. 

FULL RANKINGS HERE