2018 NCAA DIII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 7
NEW ORLEANS – The view doesn’t change much when you’re handling business like the top teams in the NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll.
The most recent index, which was released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), saw no change in the top-6 teams from Week 6, but a plethora of changes in the spots behind them.
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Let’s take a quick look at the top-5 teams: No.1 Johns Hopkins, No. 2 Washington (Mo.), No. 3 SUNY Geneseo, No. 4 MIT and No. 5 Middlebury. Each of those five teams won their respective conference titles this past weekend, as the Blue Jays claimed victory in the Centennial Conference, the Bears captured the UAA crown, the Knights ruled in the SUNYAC, while the Engineers and Panthers reigned in the NEWMAC and NESCAC, respectively.
Wheaton (Ill.) and Williams share the No. 7 spot this week. The Thunder recently earned the conference title in the CCIW by a 30 to 62 margin, while the Ephs finished runner-up in the NESCAC. Wheaton (Ill.) matches its best ranking from the season to date, while Williams is in the top-10 for the seventh time this season alone.
Another conference champion found a spot in the top-10: UW-Eau Claire. The Blugolds, who are now ranked ninth, won the WIAC crown this past weekend after putting five of their runners in the top-15. UW-Eau Claire has been ranked as high as third this season and as low as 10th, so the team is definitely finding its footing.
Wesleyan (Conn.) parlayed a strong effort at the NESCAC Championships into its best ranking in program history. The Cardinals, who are now ranked 10th in the nation, finished third this past weekend after Sara Pinsonault and Rebecca Lopez-Anido led the way at Franklin Park in seventh and eighth place, respectively.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps jumped four spots from No. 19 to No. 15 after winning the SCIAC title this past weekend. The Athenas toppled Pomona-Pitzer by a score of 34-56 after putting their entire top-7 in the top-15 (4-5-6-8-11-12-14). CMS has been a mainstay in the top-15 in the past four years as this marks its 31st time in the select group.
Elsewhere in the poll, six teams improved six spots from Week 6 to Week 7: Rochester (N.Y.) went from No. 18 to No. 16, St. Lawrence went from No. 20 to No. 18, UW-La Crosse went from No. 24 to No. 22, Bates went from No. 26 to No. 24, Nebraska Wesleyan went from No. 28 to No. 26 and Wartburg went from No. 30 to No. 28.
There are three new additions to the poll: No. 31 TCNJ, No. 33 St. Thomas (Minn.) and No. 34 Washington and Lee. This is only the fourth time in program history that the Generals have been ranked dating back to 2008.
The next National Coaches’ Polls will be released November 13, which is four days ahead of the 2018 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.
