2023 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Week 4

NEW ORLEANS – The most anticipated regular season weekend of 2023 cross country competition, with top-ranked teams across the country going toe-to-toe at races from muddy Wisconsin to rainy Virginia. Check out a taste of some of the changes in the Regional polls as we roll to the postseason!

Here is the newest edition of the NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings for the 2023 season, as released on Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Regional Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning teams’ strength with current season results (if applicable) in determining a rank-order of squad potential. Only USTFCCCA member programs are eligible to receive a ranking. Teams with provisional status within the region may be ranked.

Regional Championships Friday is set for Friday, November 10. 

GREAT LAKES REGION

Projected AQs: No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Michigan State

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 5 Michigan 

Notes: There were no changes to the top-5 teams. 

MID-ATLANTIC REGION

Projected AQs: No. 1 Georgetown, No. 2 Penn State

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Penn, No. 4 Villanova, No. 5 Pittsburgh

Notes: Penn State and Villanova improve upon last week’s rankings by one spot. Penn State moves up into the No. 2 position thanks to a 27th-place team finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational, where the Nittany Lions were led by Madaline Ullom (77th) and ran without star Faith DeMars. Villanova ran to a tenth-place team score at Pre-Nationals in Virginia, with a top-ten individual finish from Sadie Sigfstead setting the tone for Villanova to finish ahead of fellow regional teams Pittsburgh (12th) and Penn (16th). 

MIDWEST REGION

Projected AQs: No. 1 Oklahoma State, No. 2 Iowa State

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Northwestern, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Minnesota 

Notes: Nebraska continues an upward trend. The Huskers moved ahead of Minnesota into the No. 4 spot. Nebraska rolled to a team victory with just 27 points at the Platte River Rumble. 

MOUNTAIN REGION

Projected AQs: No. 1 NAU, No. 2 BYU

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Colorado, No. 4 Utah, No. 5 Colorado State

Notes:  Many teams were poised to make a statement at the Pre-Nationals Invitational and the BYU Cougars did just that. BYU pounced on its opportunity, placing four of their scorers among the top-10 individuals and running away with the team title with just 32 points (Arkansas was runner-up with 90).  BYU’s Carmen Alder arrived in style to start the day, breaking out with a 19:36 (6k) to win the individual title, well ahead of  Oregon’s Maddy Elmore (19:47) and Arkansas freshman Paityn Noe (19:49). Colorado State leapfrogs into the No. 5 position after the Rams notched a 17th-place team finish at Nuttycombe, led by Sarah Carter (20th), and finishing ahead of nationally ranked teams in Week 3 such as Furman (No.18), Providence (No. 14),  and Syracuse (No. 25).  

NORTHEAST REGION

Projected AQs: No. 1 Harvard, No. 2 Syracuse

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Northeastern, No. 4 Providence, No. 5 Boston College

Notes: Harvard emerges as the top-billed team in the region, claiming the week’s No. 1 spot after a 19th-place team finish at Nuttycombe, highlighted by a sixth-place individual finish from champion low-stick Maia Ramsden. The Crimson bested former Northeast No. 1 ranked Providence, as well as nationally-ranked Week 3 teams such as North Carolina (No. 21), and New Mexico (No. 26). Northeastern moved up three places into the No. 3 spot thanks to a victory at the IC4A/ECAC Championships, where the Huskies came out ahead of Princeton by just two points (55 to 57), boosted by a one-two punch from Abigail Hassman and Ava Duggan. Boston College earns the biggest move of the week, rocketing up eight positions into No. 5. Boston College earned a third-place finish at the Arturo Barrios Invite, ahead of RV Ohio State. 

SOUTH REGIONAL

Projected AQs: No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Alabama

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Lipscomb, No. 4 Ole Miss, No. 5 Tennessee

Notes: There was no want for change this week, and the movement in the rankings begins right at the top with Florida flip-flopping with Alabama as the Gators reclaim the No. 1 position.  A statement fifth-place team finish at Nuttycombe saw the Gators placing four athletes in the top-40 individual places, and were led by a course record and individual title from Parker Valby, who blasted a 19:17 (6k) course record in muddy conditions to take the title by more than ten seconds. Lipscomb also switched places with Ole Miss, with the Bisons taking No. 3 after 10th place finish at Nuttycombe, thanks to just a 18-second spread between their scoring runners. Tennessee entered the top-5 teams once more after the Lady Volunteers finished fifth in the team race at Pre-Nationals, only behind a handful of top national teams such as BYU, Oregon, Virginia, and Arkansas. 

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

Projected AQs: No. 1 Arkansas, No. 2 SMU

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 LSU, No. 5 Tulane 

Notes: Texas A&M re-emerges into the top-5 teams, after a seventh-place finish at the Arturo Barrios Invitational over regional opponent Tulane and just six points off SMU. 

SOUTHEAST REGION

Projected AQs: No. 1 NC State, No. 2 Virginia

Also in the Hunt:  No. 3 Furman, No. 4 Duke, No. 5 UNC

Notes: Duke marks the only change this week, trading places with UNC and moving to No. 4 after defeating the Tar Heels at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational led by an excellent individual eleventh-place finish from leader Amina Maatoug, and Duke earning 508 points to UNC’s 510. 

WEST REGION

Projected AQs: No. 1 Stanford, No. 2 Oregon

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Oregon State, No. 4 CBU, No. 5 Washington 

Notes: The Oregon Ducks take flight up three places into No. 2 as they finished fourth in the team race at Pre-Nationals, led by Maddy Elmore’s runner-up individual finish (19:47), and placing three scorers in the top-thirty. Oregon State earns the biggest leap of the region, with six spots slashed off from last week’s ranking to move to No. 3. The Beavers earned a well-deserved seventh-place team finish at Nuttycombe, led by a leading senior duo of Kaylee Mitchell (5th), and Grace Fetherstonhaugh (22nd).