Nuttycombe And Pre-Nats Shake Up NCAA DI Women’s XC Regional Rankings

NEW ORLEANS — Did everybody catch their breath after a crazy weekend in NCAA Division I Cross Country?

Good.

Now it’s time to take a look at how the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational and the Pre-National Invitational shook up the most recent Women’s Regional Rankings, released Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

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

There are two new No. 1 teams and five more moved into the all-important No. 2 slot. The top-2 spots in each region are critical, because if those teams finish in that position at the Regional Championship on November 11, they’ll earn automatic bids to the NCAA DI Cross Country Championships eight days later.

Let’s start alphabetically and find ourselves in the Great Lakes Region, where former No. 2 Michigan supplanted former No. 1 Michigan State at the top of the billing. This past weekend the Wolverines finished a game third at the Pre-National Invitational behind individual champion Erin Finn, while the Spartans limped to 19th place in Madison, Wisconsin and only had one runner in the top-50.

Michigan State actually fell all the way down to fourth, as both Eastern Michigan (No. 3 to No. 2) and Notre Dame (No. 5 to No. 3) leapfrogged, too. The Eagles were 7th at Pre-Nationals and the Irish were 9th in Wisconsin as Anna Rohrer placed third overall.

The other new No. 1 team is that of Iowa State in the Midwest Region. The Cyclones, who were formerly No. 3, jumped two spots after an 8th-place finish in Wisconsin. Erin Hooker led the way for Iowa State as its move pushed Oklahoma State (No. 1 to No. 2) and Minnesota (No. 2 to No. 3) down one spot each.

Just like the Cyclones, the Villanova Wildcats are making a name for themselves as the season progresses. Villanova most recently was 12th in Wisconsin, topped region rivals Georgetown and Penn, and went from No. 5 to No. 2 in the Mid-Atlantic. Paul Short Run champ Angel Piccirillo was 19th overall and the Wildcats put two in the top-35.

Another team that surged three spots in the rankings was that of Oregon. The Ducks had fallen to No. 5 in the West Region, but their performance at Pre-Nats propelled them right back to No. 2 behind top-ranked Washington. Oregon had two runners in the top-15 and finished runner-up to Colorado in the team standings.

Baylor and William & Mary are the other two teams that slid into the No. 2 spot in their respectively regions. The Bears were a surprising fifth in Wisconsin as Maggie Montoya and Lindsey Bradley led the way. The Tribe took eighth at the Penn State National Open, which was run Friday and won by the host Nittany Lions.

With the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational and Pre-Nats in the books, the postseason is quickly approaching. Conference championships are in two weeks and they’ll be followed by the nine Regional Championships in which NCAA bids will be secured.

What impact will these rankings have on the National Coaches’ Poll? Be sure to check back in tomorrow at noon ET and tune into "Cross Country U."

USTFCCCA Regional Cross Country Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning teams strength with current season results (if applicable) in determining predicted team finishes at the NCAA Regional Championships.