2023 NCAA DI Cross Country Regional Championships Preview

Regional Championships Friday is here!

You can feel the excitement in the air.

From The USTFCCCA InfoZone: Meets & Results | USTFCCCA Scoreboard

Let’s find out which teams and individuals are headed to the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships NEXT SATURDAY at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Virginia. Don’t forget that you can watch the commercial-free action on ESPNU, beginning at 9:30 am ET.

Remember that the top-2 teams per gender in each region automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships, while the other teams will be at-large selections during an upcoming NCAA Selection Show. Then, after teams have been determined, 40 additional individuals per gender are selected to compete based on finish at their respective regional championships.

Here are three of the nine meets that offer the most intrigue.

Did you think we’d do a Regional Championships Friday preview and NOT mention the Mountain Region?

No other region matches the depth of the Mountain Region: 11 nationally-ranked programs with carbon copies at the top of each race with top-ranked Northern Arizona and third-ranked BYU.

A program hasn’t swept the regional titles since Colorado did so in back-to-back years in 2014 and 2015. NAU has a reasonable shot in 2023 based on recent results against similarly strong competition, as well as being the top-ranked teams in both National Coaches’ Polls. The Lumberjacks doubled up on team titles at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational when they ran roughshod in Madison, Wisconsin: NAU’s men won by 86 points over BYU, while the women reigned by 43 points over previous No. 1 NC State. There was a large contingent of programs from the Mountain Region in both races that day, too. That being said, the Lumberjack women haven’t raced against the Cougar women yet, so that’s going to be an exciting matchup (BYU raced at the Pre-Nationals Invitational that weekend and decimated the field).

Are California Baptist’s men for real?

Are Stanford’s men back to form?

Who will earn the two automatic bids on the women’s side?

Questions abound for the West Region Championships.

The Lancers have been a revelation this season, vaulting to an all-time program high No. 4 in the National Coaches’ Poll. CBU made a name for itself in winning the Roy Griak Invitational and then finished fourth at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in mid-October. Conversely, the Cardinal slid a bit after high preseason expectations, but responded with a resounding victory at the Pac-12 Championships two weeks ago. Stanford is the back-to-back defending regional champion, so it would be foolish to count it out until the final runner crosses the finish line on Friday.

No. 7 Stanford, No. 8 Washington and No. 12 Oregon are three strong squads fighting for two automatic bids. That trio met up two weeks ago at the Pac-12 Championships, where the Huskies emerged victorious by just two points over the Cardinal, 58-60. The Ducks weren’t too far behind in fourth. If you remove Colorado from the meet and rescore it, Stanford edges Washington by three points, 42-45. The Cardinal is a three-time defending regional champion, while Washington seeks its first crown since 2011.

The form chart predicts a close race for the men’s team title and a runaway victory on the women’s side: Is that how things will play out on the 10k and 6k tracts at Mike Bostic Golf Course in Gainesville, Florida?

If the men’s race is anything like we saw at the SEC Championships, fans could be in for a treat. Alabama and Tennessee were separated by just two points behind champion Arkansas, 57-59. Both the Crimson Tide and the Volunteers had multiple athletes in the top-10 two weeks ago. Tennessee, however, put all five scoring athletes in the top-20, compared to just three for Alabama. Depth wins championships, so whoever is able to capitalize on that should top the podium at the end of the race.

Florida seeks its first regional title on the women’s side since 2009. Supposing the Gators accomplish that feat and get the ultimate low stick from Parker Valby, it will be a heck of a battle to find out who gets the other automatic bid. Four teams sit between the No. 15 and No. 24 rankings in the most recent National Coaches’ Poll: No. 15 Tennessee, No. 16 Alabama, No. 19 Lipscomb and No. 24 Ole Miss. It’s safe to say the Volunteers, Crimson Tide and the Rebels are quite familiar with each other after racing at the SEC Championships two weeks ago, so the Bisons are the wild card. Lipscomb had a breakthrough performance at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, where it finished tenth.