NEW ORLEANS – The Cal State San Marcos men's cross country team has made its way into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II National Coaches' Poll for the first time in program history. The Cougars are ranked No. 22 after their second-place finish at the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships on Saturday, Nov. 3, in San Bernardino.
 
CSUSM is just one of three CCAA schools ranked in the top 25 as it joins No. 4 Chico State and No. 23 Cal Poly Pomona. The Cougars finished with 63 points and had All-CCAA performances from senior Vahagn Isayan (8th), senior Steven Terris (13th) and junior Joshua Litwiller (15th).
 
Chico State claimed its 17th-consecutive conference title with 19 points, as all 10 Wildcats in the field earned All-CCAA honors. CSUSM defeated then-No. 15 Cal Poly Pomona (97) by 34 points to record its best finish in the conference race.
 
The Cougars have set their sights on the 2018 NCAA Division II West Regional in Billings, Montana, on Nov. 17. In their inaugural postseason race last season, CSUSM placed ninth out of 27 teams as Litwiller led the way for the Cougars with a 12th-place finish to earn All-West Region honors.