1956 NCAA Cross Country Championships

The 1956 NCAA Cross Country Championships were contested at the 18th annual NCAA-sanctioned cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 26, 1956, the meet was hosted by Michigan State College at the Forest Akers East Golf Course in East Lansing, Michigan. The distance for the race was 4 miles (6.4 kilometers).

1956 NCAA Cross Country Championships
Organisers	NCAA
Edition	18th
Date	November 26, 1956
Host city	East Lansing, MI Michigan State College
Venue	Forest Akers East Golf Course
Distances	4 miles (6.4 km)
Participation	115 athletes
← 1955 1957 →

Since the current multi-division format for NCAA championship did not begin until 1973, all NCAA members were eligible. In total, 14 teams and 115 individual runners contested this championship.^[1]

The team national championship was won by the Michigan State Spartans, their fifth and second consecutive. The individual championship was won by Walter McNew, from Texas, with a time of 19:55.94.^[2]

Men's title

• Distance: 4 miles (6.4 kilometers)

Team Result (Top 10)

Rank	Team	Points
	Michigan State	28
	Kansas	88
	Texas	89
4	Illinois	128
5	Saint Joseph's	166
6	Notre Dame	175
7	Penn State	192
8	Indiana	200
9	Miami (OH)	219
10	Connecticut	228

References

1. "1956 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships". MileSplit.com. Mile Split US. from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
2. "NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. pp. 7–9. (PDF) from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2014.