Saturday, 24th September, marked the official opening of the 2005 NCAA cross country season. The results of these meets and all competitions prior to the can be used to determine 'at-large' qualifiers to the NCAA Championships based on head-to-head competition.

After the first week of competition, John McDonnell's (Crossmolina, Co Mayo) Arkansas Razorbacks men's team sits in 2nd spot in the September 27th behind the University of Wisconsin in Mondo NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Poll conducted by the United States Cross Country Coaches Association Dubliner Mick Byrne's Iona College Gaels are ranked 8th with Ray Treacy's (Villierstown, Co Waterford) Providence Friars voted to #28 in the poll. The Providence women's team is ranked 19th Finish Lynx NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Poll.

Dubliner Peter Dalton (East Tennessee University) ran 26.02.6 (8k) to win the Greensboro Invitational held in Greensboro, North Carolina on 24th September. The ETSU men's team swept the top 5 spots to win the meet with 15 points.

Richard Corcoran (Villanova University) placed 15th at the Haverford College Invitational in Haverford, Pennsylvania on 24th September. Corcoran, who is coached by Marcus O'Sullivan, covered the 4-mile course in 20.35.4. Bobby Curtis won the race in 19.54.5.

Providence College junior Martin Fagan placed 7th at the Roy Griak Invitational held in in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. The reigning Irish 5k Champion covered the 8-kilometre course in 24.25.

PC teammate Liam Reale placed 134th in 26.21 and was the fifth man for the team. First year Friar Richard Yeates ran 26.24 to place 137th overall. Wexford man, Steve Murphy, a junior at Butler University placed 144th in 26.26.

DSD's Ava Hutchinson who competes for Butler University placed 11th covering the 6k course in 21.24.

Wisconsin's Simon Bairu won the men's race in 23:43 with Amy Hastings (Arizona State) winning the women's event in 20:58.

Ray Treacy's Providence women and men's teams placed 7th and 10th respectively in the team competitions.

Tadhg O'Callaghan, a sophomore at Yale University, ran 26.04 on the 8k course to place 8th at the Spiked Shoe Invitational at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania on 24th September. St. Joseph's Teddy Myers won the event in 25.29.

Iona College senior Sean Connolly (Tallaght, Co Dublin) running unattached placed 7th in the Iona Meet of Champions covering the historic Van Cortlandt Park 8k course in 24.55.3.

John McDonnell's Arkansas Razorbacks won the event placing their top 5 runners in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th for a total of 20 points. Mick Byrne's Iona College Gaels placed 2nd with 77 points.

Iona's Michelle Gallagher (Dundrum South Dublin) placed 10th in the women's race in 22.19.3 on the 6-kilometre course. First year Iona Gael Tracey Williams from Tallaght, placed 30th in 22.57.5. Lindsey Scherf, a sophomore at Harvard, won the race in 21.19.3.

Iona College's Richard Kiplagat smashed the course record (24:17, Sammy Myamongo, Life College, 1997) to win the Iona Meet of Champions on the hallowed ground of Van Cortlandt Park. Kiplagat (Marakwet, Kenya) ran 23:54.4 which places him #4 All-Time on the 8k/5-Mile course behind David Merrick and Eric Carter, both at 23:51 and Steve Binns at 23:52.5.