2022 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 5
NEW ORLEANS – What a weekend!
Here is the newest edition of the NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll for the 2022 season, as released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Remember that this poll is conducted by counting votes from 11 member coaches – one from each of the division’s nine regions (who also do the regional rankings) – as well as two members from the NCAA Cross Country Executive Committee.
The #RunToStillwater is only getting better!
NCAA Division I — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
NC State2
New Mexico3
Oklahoma State4
Northern Arizona5
BYUCross Country Polls & Rankings
Nothing changed among the top-5 for a second consecutive week. NC State reeled in all 11 first-place votes to remain the nation’s top squad, followed by No. 2 New Mexico, No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 4 Northern Arizona and No. 5 BYU.
In a highly anticipated matchup, NC State held off New Mexico in a tiebreaker at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational. After both teams had a final score of 80, the Wolfpack (1-2-18-23-36) won 3-2 over the Lady Lobos (8-9-12-25-26). Katelyn Tuohy, the reigning M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week, and Kelsey Chmiel went 1-2 for NC State, with the victory ultimately coming from Sydney Seymour’s 23rd place finish over New Mexico’s Elise Thorner in 25th.
The battle for third place at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational was even close. Northern Arizona held off BYU by eight points, 244-252. The Lumberjacks went 3-40-64-66-71 behind Elise Stearns’s third-place showing, while the Cougars had their runners go 11-15-57-63-106.
The next seven finishers at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course find themselves in a similar fashion in the National Coaches’ Poll: Notre Dame jumped four spots form No. 10 to No. 6 after finishing fifth; North Carolina placed sixth overall and found themselves up three spots from No. 11 to No. 8; Stanford finished seventh and fell one spot to No. 9; Utah came in eighth and improved two spots to No. 10; Colorado fell four spots to No. 11 after coming in ninth; co-No. 12 Georgetown (up one spot) and Oregon (up nine spots) placed 10th and 11th, respectively, to share that ranking.
Further down the leaderboard, Toledo and Wisconsin soared to No. 16 and No. 17, respectively based on their performances in Wisconsin. The Rockets, who were previously receiving votes, came in 12th and are now at their second-best billing in program history. The Badgers improved 11 spots after finishing 14th and beating eight teams that held better rankings in Week 4.
California Baptist set a program-best ranking at No. 14 after jumping five spots from No. 19.. The Lancers captured the team title at the Weis-Crockett Invitational in Stillwater, Oklahoma and placed their scoring runners in the top-19, including two atheltes in the top-5.
Mark your calendars for November 19, as that’s when the 2022 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships will be held at the OSU Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Don’t forget that the championship races will be broadcast commercial-free once again on ESPNU.
