2020 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 3
NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released the final NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll of the 2020 fall segment on Tuesday afternoon.
The top-5 saw some shuffling among familiar faces, while several other changes occurred within the remaining ranked teams.
NCAA Division I — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Arkansas
Arkansas
2
NC State
NC State
3
BYU
BYU
4
New Mexico
New Mexico
5
Stanford
Stanford
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Arkansas remains atop the National Coaches’ Poll for the third time this season and the seventh consecutive week dating back to October 8, 2019. The Razorbacks competed in several meets in the fall, namely at the SEC Championships, where they won their eighth-straight conference title. Arkansas ended up scoring 41 points with Lauren Gregory as the top finisher for the program in fourth place.
No. 2 NC State and No. 3 BYU each earned a one spot bump from their previous rankings. The Wolfpack is back in the No. 2 spot for the first time since the 2016 season following its fifth-straight ACC title. Dominique Clairmonte earned the individual crown and teammate Hannah Steelman finished third to lead NC State. The Cougars only competed once this season, but didn’t disappoint, claiming the win at the Oklahoma State Invitational with 22 points. Whitni Orton was the individual winner with the rest of the BYU scoring contingent finishing in the top-10.
The shift by BYU pushed New Mexico to No. 4, while Stanford remained steady at No. 5 for a third consecutive week.
Indiana made the biggest jump in this week’s poll, climbing three spots to No. 16 for a season-high placement. The Hoosiers have not competed this season and intend on starting their season after the New Year. Indiana returns a pair of NCAA competitors in Bailey Hertenstein and Sarah Schmitt, who placed 31st and 58th, respectively, at the NCAA Cross Country Championships last year.
No. 26 Northern Arizona and No. 28 Duke each earned a two-spot bump in this week’s poll. While their male counterparts ran at the OSU Invitational, the Lumberjack women will look to return to competition in 2021. Duke competed in several meets and capped its fall segment with a fourth-place finish at the ACC Championships – the program’s highest finish since 2012.
No. 30 California Baptist is back in the top-30 for the second time this season to round out the National Coaches’ Poll. The Lancers are set to begin competition after January 1. CBU finished its season last year with a perfect score to claim the team title at the WAC Championships.
Remember: The rescheduled 2020 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships are set for Monday, March 15, in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
