2023 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 2
NEW ORLEANS — The dust has settled on some of the best and biggest early season meets, and with it comes change to the national rankings!
Here is the Week 2 edition of the NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll for the 2023 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.
NCAA Division I — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
NC State
NC State
2
Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona
3
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State
4
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
5
Stanford
Stanford
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
As the next cycle of race results from across the country pour in, there is finally some changing of the guard in the top national teams. Things remain routine as ever for the top four teams comprising No. 1 NC State, No. 2 Northern Arizona, No. 3 Oklahoma State, and No. 4 Notre Dame. These teams remained set in winning ways in the last few meets, with the Lumberjacks winning the Virginia Invitational (48 points) and the Cowgirls securing the title at the Cowboy Jamboree (16 points).
Stanford is now ranked fifth. The Cardinal rocket four places from Week 1 after their second-place finish to NAU on the rolling fields of Panorama Farms. Stanford showed up at the right time against a heavy field, including former No. 5 Colorado and No. 10 North Carolina, and were led by a phenomenal sixth-place individual performance from freshman Amy Bunnage.
Looking at the rest of the top-10, No. 6 BYU remains steady as ever after a win at the Bill Dellinger Invitational. Newly-minted No. 7 Virginia crests the wave of a four-position jump thanks to their third-place finish on home turf at the Virginia Invitational. Margot Appleton was their first runner across the line and battled to be just seconds off winner Elise Stearns of NAU and runner-up Chloe Scrimgeour of Georgetown. No. 8 Florida is entrenched at No 8, while new No. 9 Washington also enjoyed an excellent day in Charlottesville, finishing fourth and just eight points off Virginia (131 to 123). No. 10 Colorado slips out of the top-5, but remains in the upper ranks.
Many of the other notable changes to the national billings included dramatic jumps by Iowa State, (up 14 to No. 12) , CBU (up 9 to No. 13), Utah (up six to No. 18) and Syracuse (RV to No. 21). The Cyclones and the Orange rose in similar fashion after exciting efforts at the Virginia Invitational: Iowa State finished sixth; Syracuse finished tenth. CBU and Utah duked it out at the Roy Griak Invitational with the Lancers narrowly beating the Utes by just one point (63 to 64).
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 18, because that’s when the 2023 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships will be held at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Virginia.
