2023 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 3
NEW ORLEANS – The season rolls on, and with it comes another week of rankings!
Here is the Week 3 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
Another week of competition has concluded, the points have been tallied, and as the dust settles, you can be certain that the top-5 teams in the National Coaches’ Poll remained the same.
No. 1 NC State garnered ten first-place votes again. The Wolfpack returned to competition with a victory at the Joe Piane Invitational, led by veteran Kelsey Chmiel and boosted by outstanding performances from youngsters Leah Stephens and Grace Hartman, who both placed in the top-10.
No. 2 Northern Arizona, earning one first-place vote, rolled to victory at the Dave Murray Invitational. The Lumberjacks scored just 20 points in a resounding victory. Oklahoma State remains at No. 3, followed by No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 5 Stanford. The Irish finished runner-up at the Joe Piane Invitational, putting all five scoring runners inside the top-20.
No. 6 BYU and No. 7 Virginia keep their feet rooted in their respective positions. No. 8 Washington moves up one spot this week ahead of No. 9 Florida and No. 10 Colorado.
Certain teams made splashes elsewhere, like Alabama and Furman. The Crimson Tide jumped eight spots from No. 22 to No. 14 after a third-place finish at the Joe Piane Invitational, while the Paladins used a victory at the Sean Earl Loyola Invitational to propel itself from unranked to No. 18. Carly Wilkes led Furman’s charge as it finished with a total of 58 points, placing the squad ahead of nationally-ranked Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan and Ole Miss.
Other teams entering the national rankings include No. 27 Gonzaga, who emerged in the top teams after a fifth-place team result at Loyola Lakefront capped off by Rosina Machu’s individual victory, No. 29 Lipscomb, who placed fourth in Chicago, and No. 30 Oregon State.
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.
