2020 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 2
NEW ORLEANS – The newest edition of the NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), remained fairly calm following a handful of conference championships this past weekend.
No. 1 Arkansas, No. 2 New Mexico and No. 5 Stanford kept their initial top-5 spots from a week ago, while No. 3 NC State moved up one spot to bump BYU down to No. 4.
NCAA Division I — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Arkansas
Arkansas
2
New Mexico
New Mexico
3
NC State
NC State
4
BYU
BYU
5
Stanford
Stanford
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
The Razorbacks have not only kept their grasp on the No. 1 spot in the National Coaches’ Poll, but continue to rule the SEC, claiming the program’s eighth consecutive SEC title. Arkansas placed all five scoring runners in the top-11 with Lauren Gregory leading the Razorback contingent with a fourth-place finish. Logan Morris (seventh), Abby Gray (ninth), Taylor Ewert (10th) and Krissy Gear (11th) rounded out the scoring for the Razorbacks to give them their 44 point total.
NC State rolled to its fifth-straight ACC title in program history with 47 points over second-place Georgia Tech. Dominique Clairmonte claimed her first ACC title to lead the Wolfpack, with teammates Hannah Steelman (third) and Mariah Howlett (10th) finishing in the top-10.
Speaking of Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets made the biggest jump in this week’s rankings, coming in at No. 13 for a 12-spot improvement for the program’s highest placement in the National Coaches’ Poll. It was a historical weekend for Georgia Tech, as the Yellow Jackets finished a program-best second at the ACC Championships behind NC State. Nicole Fegans led Georgia Tech with her ninth-place finish, with juniors Liz Galarza and Mary Kathryn Knott finishing in the top-15.
Joining the top-30 for the first time this season are No. 17 Alabama, No. 23 Iowa State and No. 30 Duke.
The Crimson Tide earned the second-best national ranking in program history following a runner-up finish to Arkansas at the SEC Championships. Alabama scored 57 points in the program’s best conference finish since 1994. After finishing 10th a year ago, Mercy Chelengat took home the gold in 19:46.5, becoming the first individual from Alabama to win since 1993. Alabama also placed two other individuals within the top-10: Esther Gitahi and Jami Reed finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
Iowa State won the Big 12 Conference Championship with 39 points over runner-up Texas (ranked No. 29). Cailie Logue brought home the individual crown for the third-straight year, navigating the 6K course in 20:00.5. The Cyclones were bolstered by three other top-10 performers: Brenna Cohoon (fifth), Winrose Chesang (seventh) and Dana Feyen (eighth). This is the eighth title in the last 10 years for Iowa State.
Duke is back in the top-30 for the first time since 2013. The Blue Devils placed fourth in the team standings at the ACC Championships behind NC State, Georgia Tech and third-place Florida State (ranked No. 21) for its highest team finish since 2012. Michaela Reinhart led the team with her fourth-place finish, while Samantha Schadler placed 10th.
The 2020 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were rescheduled for Monday, March 15, in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
