2019 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 5
NEW ORLEANS – Let’s talk about change, because that’s exactly what happened in this week’s edition of the NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday.
NCAA Division I — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Arkansas
Arkansas
2
Stanford
Stanford
3
Washington
Washington
4
BYU
BYU
5
Colorado
Colorado
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
The Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational and Pre-National Invitational were two of the meets that brought a multitude of alterations to the poll, and a preview of what to expect in the upcoming weeks, as teams are beginning to shift gears towards postseason racing. In total, 16 teams climbed the national leaderboard between Week 4 and Week 5.
SEE MORE: Weekend In Review (October 18-20)
The top spot was held down by Arkansas for the second week in a row after earned all 11 first-place votes. The Razorbacks proved why they are the unanimous No. 1 team in the country with a team title at Nuttycombe, beating out No. 2 Stanford 62-98. Arkansas was led by Taylor Werner, who placed third and led four runners to finish in the top-10 en route to their victory. The Cardinal earned two-spot bump in the poll this week with that runner-up performance to move up from No. 4 a week ago and able to break up the Arkansas contingent by having their top two runners go 4-6.
No. 3 Washington moved up five spots from No. 8 following their three point victory at the Pre-National Invitational over now No. 4 BYU, 84-87, which dropped two spots from No. 2 last week. Colorado, placing third at Pre-Nats behind the Huskies and Cougars, will come in at No. 5
NC State sits at No. 6 following a two-spot jump from No. 8. The Wolfpack earned a third-place finish at Nuttycombe behind Arkansas and Stanford. No. 7 Wisconsin finished fourth behind NC State and jumped up six places from No. 13. The Badgers were led by the newly-minted National Athlete of the Week, Alicia Monson, who claimed her second individual title at Nuttycombe and taking down runner-up Weini Kelati of No. 11 New Mexico.
Michigan State and Florida State each earned one spot bumps in the poll. The Spartans moved from No. 10 to No. 9 after a fifth-place finish in Wisconsin, while the Seminoles moved from No. 11 to No. 10 following a fifth-place performance in Terre Haute to earn a spot in the top-10 for the first time since 2014.
As we go down the list, the biggest jump in the National Coaches’ Poll comes from No. 11 Northern Arizona, moving up 16 spots from No. 27. Air Force gained 7 spots in the poll this week to move from No. 21 to No. 14, setting a program all-time best in the national poll. The Lumberjacks and Falcons placed sixth and eighth, respectively, in a loaded Nuttycombe field.
SEE MORE: On The Rise At The Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational
Penn State made the second biggest jump in this week’s poll moving up 12 spots from No. 30 to No. 18. The Nittany Lions won the Penn State National on their home course, 31-63, over second place RV Georgia Tech with runners finishing 1-4-5-6.
Three new teams enter the poll this week after previously receiving votes – No. 22 Virginia Tech, No. 23 Indiana, and No. 26 Butler. The Hokies and Bulldogs both earned their highest placement in the poll since 2014.
The next NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll will be released on Tuesday, November 5.
