2024 NCAA DIII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Preseason
NEW ORLEANS – Will the 2024 cross country season run through the UAA?
People are asking that question after seeing the preseason edition of the NCAA DIII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Four teams from the UAA are in the top-10 of the preseason index, including both of the top-2 squads.
National Coaches’ Polls are presented by AthleticNET.
NCAA Division III — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
NYU
NYU
2
Chicago
Chicago
3
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
4
SUNY Geneseo
SUNY Geneseo
5
Lynchburg
Lynchburg
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
NYU is the unanimous favorite to win the national title come November in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Violets return six of seven runners from a squad that finished runner-up at the NCAA Championships last year. Two of those returners were All-America performers: Morgan Uhlhorn and Vivian Kane (Uhlhorn was the second fastest freshman on the day). This is the third time in the past two years that NYU has been ranked No. 1 in the National Coaches’ Poll.
UChicago sits second to begin the season, and the coaches expect it to push NYU for team titles at both the UAA Championships and the NCAA Championships. The Maroons welcome back five of seven runners from their third-place squad last year, including two top-20 athletes: Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel (13th) and Elisabeth Carnic (19th).
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps begins the season at No. 3. The Athenas must overcome the loss of 2023 individual runner-up Natalie Bitetti, but return five athletes from a team that finished fourth last year – namely now-junior Riley Capuano, who finished 11th overall in 2023. Capuano had a strong outdoor track season that ended with a runner-up finish in the NCAA 1500 meters.
SUNY Geneseo sees itself at No. 4 in the preseason. The Knights return five of their top-6 runners from last year’s NCAA squad, including perennial individual contender Penelope Greene who is the top returner in the nation. Greene comes into the cross country season off an outdoor season that saw her earn two First-Team All-America honors (5000 meters and 10,000 meters). SUNY Geneseo and NYU will lock horns at least once at the Niagara Region meet.
Lynchburg comes in at No. 5 for its highest ranking in program history. The Hornets didn’t have an All-American last year, but saw a strong contingent between places No. 40 and No. 50 that resulted in a 12-second spread between those three athletes. Kayla Werner, who set several PRs during the outdoor season, should be at the front of the pack for Lynchburg.
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in the preseason: No. 6 MIT, No. 7 Emory, No. 8 Washington (Mo.), No. 9 UW-La Crosse and No. 10 Johns Hopkins. This is the highest ranking in program history for the Atlanta-based Eagles.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 23, because that’s when the 2024 NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships will be held at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana.
