2021 NCAA DII Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Week 2

NEW ORLEANS – The season is moving right along!

Here is the Week 2 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 were no changes among the top-5 teams in the Atlantic Region.

Edinboro and Davis and Elkins remain No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, followed by No. 3 Seton Hill, No. 4 Charleston (W.VA.) and No. 5 Slippery Rock. The Griffins were the only team in action this past weekend and won the DII/DIII Challenge, placing all five runners in the top-17 and two in the top-5.

Central Region

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

Augustana (S.D.), U-Mary and Minnesota Duluth remain No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, and are now followed by No. 4 Northwest Missouri and No. 5 Central Missouri. The Bearcats, previously not ranked, soared into the top-5 following a third place finish at Greeno Dirksen behind NCAA Division I Iowa and Nebraska. The Jennies, who climbed three spots from No. 8, beat No. 6 Rogers State (previously not ranked), No. 8 Pittsburg State (formerly No. 7) and No. 9 Neb.-Kearney (previously No. 5).

East Region

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

Southern New Hampshire and American International remain No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, followed by No. 3 Roberts Wesleyan, No. 4 Saint Anselm and No. 5 Stonehill. The Hawks and Skyhawks placed fourth and eighth, respectively, at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational.

Midwest Region

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

While No. 1 Grand Valley State held steady, Southwest Baptist improved two spots to No. 2, Southern Indiana fell one spot to No. 3, Cedarville improved two spots to No. 4 and Walsh fell two spots to No. 5. All five teams were in action this past weekend: the Lakers finished second at the Spartan Invitational; the Bearcats placed second at the Southern Stampede; the Screaming Eagles finished fourth at the Redbird Invite; the Yellowjackets topped the Cavaliers to take home the team title at the All-Ohio Championships.

South Region

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

Lee (Tenn.), Mississippi College, Tampa and Saint Leo remain No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Lynn is the newest addition to the top-5 after improving three spots from No. 8 after a strong showing at the Florida State Open. The Flames bolstered their resume as the top-ranked team after finishing sixth behind several nationally ranked NCAA DI programs. 

South Central Region

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

Colorado School of Mines, Adams State, UC-Colorado Springs and CSU-Pueblo remain No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, and now joined by No. 5 Colorado Christian. The Orediggers, Grizzlies, Mountain Lions and CSU-Pueblo each won their respective competitions this past weekend. The Cougars gained one spot into the top-5 after a solid third place finish at the Roadrunner Invitational.

Southeast Region

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

Queens (N.C.) and Wingate remained No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, but now followed by No. 3 Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears, who jumped four spots from seventh, won the Converse Kick-Off and beat third-place Anderson (S.C). No. 4 Flagler stayed put while Anderson (S.C.) fell two spots to No. 5. 

West Region

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

The top-4 teams in the region held steady from Week 1: No. 1 Cal State Stanislaus, No. 2 Simon Fraser, No. 3 Chico State and No. 4 Academy of Art. The lone change, and newest addition to the top-5, is fifth-ranked Cal State San Marcos. While none of the top teams raced this past weekend, the CCAA Preview this upcoming weekend could stir up the rankings as the Warriors, Wildcats and Cougars are all expected to race.