NEW ORLEANS, La. – The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has released their new Cross Country Rating Index (XCRI).
 
This new ranking system will be used throughout the season to evaluate collegiate cross country athletes and teams, while providing coaches, athletes, media, and fans with a consistent method to accurately evaluate their performance.
 
Rankings are based on head-to-head race results and strength of schedule based solely on the current season.
 
The USTFCCCA has ranked Rose-Hulman 47^th in the XCRI Rankings, out of 353 total teams.
 
The Fightin' Engineers also finished fifth in the Great Lakes Region Rankings, where they are the only HCAC team to make the top ten.
 
Senior Joshua Pohle has had an incredibly successful 2025 campaign, which was highlighted by a 24^th-place finish out of 422 athletes at the highly touted Paul Short Run. Pohle recorded a season-best time of 24:59.0, while outrunning over 100 Division I athletes. Following the meet, the three-time all-conference honoree was named HCAC Athlete of the Week
 
Sophomore Sam Rinker has also thrived throughout the season, where he led Rose-Hulman to a second-place finish at the Nike XC Town Twilight. Rinker recorded a first place finish out of 116 athletes, posting a season-best time of 25:39.10.
 
The Fightin' Engineers will be seeking their second consecutive conference title as they compete in the HCAC Championships in Shelbyville, Ind. The meet will be held on Saturday, November 1, at 12 PM.