2023 NCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 1
NEW ORLEANS — Here is the newest edition of the NCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll for the 2023 season, as released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Wednesday afternoon.
Remember that this poll is conducted by counting votes from eight member coaches – one from each of the division’s eight regions – who also do the Regional Rankings.
NCAA Division II — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Adams State
Adams State
2
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
3
Colo. School of Mines
Colo. School of Mines
4
Winona State
Winona State
5
UC-Colorado Springs
UC-Colorado Springs
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
No. 1 Adams State and No. 2 Grand Valley State solidified their positions at the top of the polls after cruising through the first weekend of competition without a hiccup. The Grizzlies gathered all eight first-place votes after the women totaled 17 points at the 30th Annual Joe I. Vigil, led by a one-two punch that featured Briana Robles and Ava O’Connor.
Colorado School of Mines held steady at the No. 3 spot.
The most notable movement at the top of the charts came where Winona State hurdled over UC-Colorado Springs to swipe the No. 4 slot. Lindsay Cunningham led the Warriors to a victory at the Green Bay Phoenix Cross Country Open with a dominant individual run, while a few states away, the Mountain Lions posted a 28-point victory at the UCCS Rust Buster.
CSU-Pueblo jumped eight positions to nab the No. 7 ranking. Despite the loss of a few key pieces that produced a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships last fall, the ThunderWolves finished just seven points behind UCCS in their season opener.
Other noteworthy changes include: Lee (Tenn.) rose to the No. 8 position after beginning the 2023 campaign down in 12th. A mere eight seconds separated the Flames trio of Hawkins, Cavanaugh, and Hare at the top of the results. Wingate surged four spots to No. 15 after a crew of newcomers revamped a partially depleted squad.
No. 6 Western Colorado, No. 16 Charleston (W.Va.), No. 17 Biola (Calif.), No. 26 Tampa, and No. 29 Mississippi College also improved their billing in Week 1.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 18th, as the 2023 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships will take place at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course in Joplin, Missouri!
