NEW ORLEANS – As the NCAA Division I Cross Country season enters the heart of its regular-season schedule, teams around the nation continue to jockey for qualifying position in the newest men’s Regional Rankings.

A pair of teams moved into their regions’ respective second positions – remember, the top two teams at each regional championship next month get automatic berths to the NCAA Championships – in the latest edition of the rankings announced Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Both of those moves and others in today’s Regional Rankings will also have significant ramifications in Tuesday’s newest National Coaches’ Polls, which will be announced live on the “Cross Country U” podcast at noon ET on USTFCCCA.org.

Regional Rankings Summary PDF | Rankings Central | Women’s Rankings

In its first appearance of the season, Iona resolved lingering questions and uncertainty with a decisive victory at the Paul Short Run. The Gaels scored a clear victory over Mid-Atlantic Region No. 1 Georgetown, 34-115, to move to No. 2 in the Northeast Region behind defending national champion Syracuse.

Led by the second- and third-place duo of Kieran Clements and Gilbert Kirui, five Gaels finished in the top-12; no other team had more than two in that same range.

Overall, the Northeast was by far the most active region in the rankings this week with 12 of its 15 ranked teams checking in with a different mark than a week ago. Providence moved up two spots to No. 3 after finishing fourth in a strong Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational field. Last week’s No. 2 Columbia fell two spots after a fifth-place showing at Paul Short.

Joining Iona as this week’s other new top-two team was Middle Tennessee State. The Blue Raiders overtookFlorida State for the second spot in the South after a strong runner-up showing among DI teams at the Greater Louisville Classic to Virginia Tech, 59-62. Jacob Choge was the runner-up individually for MTSU.

Should the Blue Raiders hold onto or improve upon this rank at the South Region Championships, it would mark their first-ever appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships as a team.

For its part, Virginia Tech of the Southeast Region was the lone othermen’s team this week that moved up onto “the bubble” at No. 3. The Hokies displaced NC State, which finished a disappointing 11th at Notre Dame, to No. 4 in the SE.

Navy moved up to No. 4 in the Mid-Atlantic with a sixth-place Paul Short showing, while Eastern Michiganand UCLA moved up to No. 5 in their respective Great Lakes and West regions.

See the full regional rankings below.