2023 NJCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 3

NEW ORLEANS – What was unanimous is now anyone’s guess as three programs vie for the top in the latest NJCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Settling time approaches as we’re just over three weeks away from the 2023 NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, which will be held on Saturday, November 11, at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama.

NJCAA Division II — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
Heartland (Ill.) CC
Cowley (Kan.)
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
1
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
2
Heartland (Ill.) CC
3
Cowley (Kan.)
4
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC
5
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
Cross Country Polls & Rankings

Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC is No. 1 with a majority of the first-place votes for a third-straight poll (seven of a possible 12 this time). The Pumas ventured to Wisconsin and finished fourth among 19 four-year programs at the Jim Drews/Tori Neubauer Invitational – a field that included two NCAA DIII ranked teams. Jazmin Estrada regained team No. 1 honors after a same-time loss to teammate Keira Damron at the Arizona CC Championships two weeks earlier.

Gaining steam at No. 2 is Heartland (Ill.) CC, which earned four first-place votes. The Hawks won the Greenville Classic with just 22 points behind the 1-2 finish of Nora Brady and Addysen Clark.

No. 3 Cowley (Kan.) snagged a first-place vote for the first time since the Preseason poll, when they rated No. 1. The Tigers won the Firestarter Classic, which doubled as the Region VI preview meet, over three teams ranked in the NJCAA DI top-10. Leticia Belo finished third as two teammates followed in the top-7.

Only one point separated Mesa (Ariz.) CC and Wallace State (Ala.) CC for the No. 4 position last week. Now it’s two points, with Wallace State moving up one rung. The Lions haven’t competed since the UAH Chargers Invitational – held at the site of the upcoming NJCAA Championships – and only Heartland finished ahead among eight JUCO programs.

Now No. 5, Mesa – last year’s national runner-up – did not have a scoring squad in their only meet since the last poll, at the UC Riverside Highlander Invitational.

Rounding out top-10 teams are No. 6 Southeastern (Iowa) CC (just one point away from No. 5), No. 7 Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC, No. 8 Daytona State (Fla.), No. 9 St. Clair County (Mich.) CC and No. 10 Pasco-Hernando (Fla.).

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USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II
Women's Cross Country National Coaches' Poll

2023 Week 3 - October 18th

RANK TEAM & INFOPTSCHANGE
1 paradise-valley-ariz-cc PARADISE VALLEY (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1 (1)
David Barney (28th)
233
(7 fpv)
◀▶
(LW: 1)
2 heartland-ill-cc HEARTLAND (ILL.) CC
Midwest Region
Region 24
Ty Wolf (4th)
225
(4 fpv)
◀▶
(LW: 2)
3 cowley-kan COWLEY (KAN.)
Central Region
Region 6
Cameron Rieth (6th)
215
(1 fpv)
◀▶
(LW: 3)
4 wallace-state-hanceville-ala-cc WALLACE STATE-HANCEVILLE (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Stan Narewski
192 ▲ 1
(LW: 5)
5 mesa-ariz-cc MESA (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1 (3)
Dan Pescador (9th)
190 ▼ 1
(LW: 4)
6 southeastern-iowa-cc SOUTHEASTERN (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Lucas Keifer (4th)
189 ▲ 2
(LW: 8)
7 des-moines-area-iowa-cc DES MOINES AREA (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Michael Melchert (4th)
175 ▲ 3
(LW: 10)
8 daytona-state-fla DAYTONA STATE (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Judy Wilson (6th)
162 ▼ 2
(LW: 6)
9 st-clair-county-mich-cc ST. CLAIR COUNTY (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Andrea Rheaume (2nd)
133 ◀▶
(LW: 9)
10 pasco-hernando-fla PASCO-HERNANDO (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Jacqueline Wachtel (17th)
129 ▼ 3
(LW: 7)
11 potomac-state-w-va POTOMAC STATE (W.VA.)
Great Lakes Region
Region 20
Chris Biser (2nd)
110 ▲ 4
(LW: 15)
12 coconino-ariz-cc COCONINO (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1 (5)
Craig Hunt
92 ▲ 4
(LW: 16)
13 southwestern-michigan SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Zachary Sartori (3rd)
89 ▼ 1
(LW: 12)
14 north-iowa-area-cc NORTH IOWA AREA CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Steven Story (2nd)
85 ▲ 4
(LW: 18)
15 florida-gateway FLORIDA GATEWAY
Atlantic Region
Region 8
April Morse (6th)
71 ▼ 1
(LW: 14)
16 lansing-mich-cc LANSING (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Jim Robinson (15th)
69 ▼ 3
(LW: 13)
17 calhoun-ala-cc CALHOUN (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Tiffany Bain (3rd)
63 ▲ 4
(LW: 21)
18 shelton-state-ala-cc SHELTON STATE (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Charles Tiller (1st)
34 ▼ 7
(LW: 11)
19 gadsden-state-ala-cc GADSDEN STATE (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Roseanne Green (2nd)
23 ◀▶
(LW: 19)
20 mott-mich-cc MOTT (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Joe Dimambro (17th)
14 ▼ 3
(LW: 17)
21 harford-md-cc HARFORD (MD.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 20
Sean Wright (2nd)
12 ▲ 3
(LW: 24)
22 south-florida-state SOUTH FLORIDA STATE
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Cristi Bobo (5th)
10 ▼ 3
(LW: 19)
23 college-of-central-florida COLLEGE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Lauren Lumley (2nd)
4 ▲ 2
(LW: 25)
24 muskegon-mich-cc MUSKEGON (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Nick Macinkowski (2nd)
1 ▼ 3
(LW: 21)

Dropped Out: No. 23 Carl Sandburg (Ill.)



Week-by-Week Ranking

TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2Week #3Week #4FINAL
Cowley (Kan.)163311
Heartland (Ill.) CC352232
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC211123
Mesa (Ariz.) CC424544
Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC1710785
Daytona State (Fla.)546866
Pasco-Hernando (Fla.)97710107
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC735458
Southeastern (Iowa) CC898679
Florida Gateway161614151210
St. Clair County (Mich.) CC241199911
Southwestern Michigan111012131112
Mott (Mich.) CCRV17201413
Lansing (Mich.) CC6813161314
Shelton State (Ala.) CC1211181615
Potomac State (W.Va.)231815111516
Calhoun (Ala.) CC141421171817
Coconino (Ariz.) CC10RV16121918
North Iowa Area CC122118141719
South Florida State1319222020
Bismarck State (N.D.)21
Gadsden State (Ala.) CC202219192222
NorthWest Arkansas CC23
Florida State-Jacksonville24
Hawkeye (Iowa) CC25
Harford (Md.) CC242421RV26
Northeast Alabama CC27
Kaskaskia (Ill.)21RVRV28
State Fair (Mo.)212029
Waubonsee (Ill.) CC18RV30
Muskegon (Mich.) CC131521242531
Marion Military Institute (Ala.)2332
College of Central Florida1919252333
Roane State (Tenn.) CC34
Pensacola State (Fla.)35
Enterprise State (Ala.) CC36
Lake-Sumter State (Fla.)37
Sauk Valley (Ill.) CC38
Lake Michigan21
Grand Rapids (Mich.) CC1723
Macomb (Mich.) CC23
Carl Sandburg (Ill.)23
Westmoreland County1525RV

USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II Cross Country

2023 Rankings & Polls Calendar
Weeks National Coaches' Poll KEY DATES
PreseasonWed 9/6
MEN | WOMEN
Week 1Wed 9/20
MEN | WOMEN
Week 2Wed 10/4
MEN | WOMEN
Week 3Wed 10/18
MEN | WOMEN
Week 4Wed 11/1
MEN | WOMEN
FINAL Results
(official final ranking)
Sat 11/11
MEN | WOMEN