Butler Football in top 10, soccer moves up, men’s and cross country both in top 15 in latest round of rankings

EL DORADO, Kan. – The NJCAA and USTFCCCA weekly rankings have been released and Butler football and volleyball moved up while men's and women's cross country remained in the top 15 in the country.

FOOTBALL

The Grizzlies made their way into the top 10 for the first time this season as they are ranked 10th in the week five installment of the NJCAA D1 poll after defeating NEO 32-7 on the road. This comes as Butler has won three straight after dropping the season opener at Garden City. This week Butler plays host to the top ranked team in the nation, the Hutchinson Blue Dragons, on Saturday at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex at 7 p.m. CT for a top 10 matchup.

Butler plays NO. 2 and No. 3 as well this season, taking on third ranked Iowa Central in Fort Dodge on Oct. 14 and hosting second ranked Iowa Western on Oct. 21. Dodge City found itself in the rankings this week at No. 15 for the first time since 2017.

SOCCER

The Grizzlies moved up a spot to No. 17 after going 1-0-1 last week with a 1-0 conference win at Dodge City before drawing with then 13th ranked and now 16th ranked Hill College, 2-2, at home. Earlier this season Butler finished with a 2-2 draw at No. 3 Seminole State. The Grizzlies host No. 7 Barton at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex on Saturday at 10 a.m. The two teams previously finished with a 1-1 draw at Barton on Aug. 26.

Butler took down 11th ranked Monroe 4-0 on Sept. 3, lost to No. 12 Cowley 4-3 at home and drew with No. 13 Hutchinson on the road 1-1.

CROSS COUNTRY

Butler women's cross country is ranked seventh in the nation in the USTFCCCA week 1 cross country national coaches' poll that was released Sept. 20, slotting in right behind Hutchinson who is sixth. The men's cross country team is ranked 11th, moving up a spot after their performance at the Missouri Southern Stampede.

Both squads head to the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark. on Friday.