2021 NCAA DII Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Week 1

NEW ORLEANS – The season may be young, but it’s off to a great start!

Here is the Week 1 edition of the NCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings, as released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday afternoon.

Atlantic Region

There was one change among the top-5 teams in the Atlantic Region.

Edinboro and Davis and Elkins remained No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, followed by No. 3 Seton Hill and No. 4 Charleston (W.VA.). The Golden Eagles are now followed by Slippery Rock, who moved into the No. 5 spot after a strong showing at the Doug Watts Open. The Rock finished second to the Fighting Scots.

Central Region

There were several changes among the top-5 teams in the Central Region.

Augustana (S.D.) and U-Mary remained No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Minnesota Duluth climbed four spots from No. 7 to No. 3 following two wins to start the season. Winona State fell to No. 4 and Neb.-Kearney, previously not ranked, moved to No. 5 after a strong showing at their home invitational. The Vikings, Marauders, Bulldogs and Warriors will battle it out at the Roy Griak Invitational on September 24.

East Region

There were some notable changes among the top-5 teams in the East Region.

Southern New Hampshire is still No. 1, but is now followed by No. 2 American International, who was previously not ranked. Roberts Wesleyan fell one spot to No. 3 and Saint Anselm gained one position to No. 4, while Stonehill dropped two spots to No. 5. Four of the five teams competed at the Shacklette Invitational, which saw SNHU hold off AIC 46-47. The Hawks finished six points ahead of the Skyhawks for third place.

Midwest Region

There were no changes among the top-5 teams in the Midwest Region.

Grand Valley State and Southern Indiana remained No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, followed by No. 3 Walsh, No. 4 Southwest Baptist and No. 5 Hillsdale. The Lakers, Screaming Eagles, Cavaliers and Bearcats all earned favorable outcomes the first two weekends even while resting their top runners.

South Region

There was a minor change among the top-5 teams in the South Region.

While Lee (Tenn.) stayed No. 1, the Flames are now followed by No. 2 Mississippi College and No. 3 Tampa, who traded places from the Preseason rankings. The Choctaws showed their depth with two strong wins to start the season. No. 4 Saint Leo and No. 5 Alabama-Huntsville remained steady to round out the top-5 

South Central Region

There were some notable changes among the top-5 teams in the South Central Region.

Colorado School of Mines moved into the No. 1 spot and pushed Adams State to No. 2. UC-Colorado Springs and CSU Pueblo each improved to No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, while No. 5 Dallas Baptist held steady. All five teams had strong showings to start the season, including a head-to-head competition between UC-Colorado Springs and CSU Pueblo that saw the Mountain Lions beat the ThunderWolves at the UCCS Rust Buster.

Southeast Region

There were no changes among the top-5 teams in the Southeast Region.

Queens (N.C.) and Wingate remained No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, followed by No. 3 Anderson (S.C.), No. 4 Flagler and No. 5 Augusta. The Bulldogs won the Bulldog Stampede and placed five runners in the top-9, while the Saints were victorious at the VSU Border Clash and having runners finish 2-5-6-7-8.

West Region

There were no changes among the top-5 teams in the West Region.

Cal State Stanislaus and Simon Fraser remained No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, followed by No. 3 Chico State, No. 4 Academy of Art and No. 5 Seattle Pacific. Three teams competed at the San Francisco State Invitational that was ultimately won by SFU, while the Wildcats finished second and the Urban Knights came in third.