2024 NCAA DIII Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Preseason

NEW ORLEANS – Cross country is back!

Here is the preseason edition of the NCAA DIII Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings for the 2024 season, as released on Tuesday 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 Saturday is set for November 16.

East Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 MIT

Next in Line: No. 2 Tufts

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Bates, No. 4 Suffolk, No. 5 Colby

Notes: MIT ran away with the regional title last year and is projected to be the champion once again in 2024. The Engineers return all seven runners from last year’s squad, including five athletes who finished in the top-10. The Jumbos were fourth in the region last year, but welcome back six of the seven runners from that squad, including leader Carly Rinko.

Great Lakes Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 DePauw

Next in Line: No. 2 Calvin

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 John Carroll, No. 4 Hope, No. 5 Ohio Northern

Notes: Calvin and DePauw tied on points at the regional meet last year, but the tiebreaker went to the Knights. The Tigers return six of seven runners from last year’s squad and had a strong outdoor season where their entire top-9 went sub-18:30 over 5000 meters. The Knights return six of their seven runners, including two top-10 athletes in Natalie Tebben and Hailey Erickson.

Metro Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 TCNJ

Next in Line: No. 2 Widener

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Stockton, No. 4 Rowan, No. 5 Moravian

Notes: TCNJ had a breakthrough campaign in 2023 and is projected to build upon that success in 2024. The Lions put five runners in the top-20 last year and return four of them. Widener has four of its top-7 back from last year, including the regional runner-up Gabriella Nye.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Projected AQ: No.1 Johns Hopkins

Next in Line: No. 2 Carnegie Mellon

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Misericordia, No. 4 Dickinson, No. 5 Grove City

Notes: Johns Hopkins is the class of the Mid-Atlantic Region and is expected to remain there in 2024. The Blue Jays welcome back six returners who all ran between 17:10-17:50 on the track. Carnegie Mellon returns six of its seven runners from 2023, including five All-Region athletes.

Mideast Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Amherst

Next in Line: No. 2 Middlebury

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Williams, No. 4 Connecticut College, No. 5 Vassar

Notes: Depth rose to the top of the Mideast Region. Top-ranked Amherst returns all seven of its runners from a team that finished 18th at the NCAA Championships. Middlebury, which sits second to begin the season, welcomes back six of its seven runners, including perennial individual contender Audrey McClean.

Midwest Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 UChicago

Next in Line: No. 2 Washington (Mo.)

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Central (Iowa), No. 4 Wartburg, No. 5 Loras

Notes: High expectations surround UChicago, which returns five of its top-7 runners from last year’s squad and added several impact freshmen. WashU also welcomes back five of its top-7 runners from a team that finished fourth in the region last year.

Niagara Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 NYU

Next in Line: No. 2 SUNY Geneseo

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Hamilton, No. 4 Ithaca, No. 5 SUNY Oneonta

Notes: Expect a masterclass in racing from the top of the Niagara Region. Both top-ranked NYU and second-ranked SUNY Geneseo are expected to contend for national titles with their stacked rosters. The Violets welcome back six of their seven runners from a squad that finished runner-up at the NCAA Championships, but lost Grace Richardson. The Knights return five of their top-6 runners, led by perennial individual contender Penelope Greene.

North Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 UW-La Crosse

Next in Line: No. 2 Carleton

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 St. Olaf, No. 4 UW-Stout, No. 5 UW-Whitewater

Notes: Take your pick on who could win the regional title. UW-La Crosse begins the season at No.1 , but don’t forget that Carleton is the defending national champion. The Eagles welcome back a strong contingent and added several impact freshmen. The Knights might have lost four of their top-7 runners from that championship team, but do have three back who finished in the top-10 at the regional meet last year: Hannah Preisser (third), Aliya Larsen (eighth) and Sophie McManus (ninth).

South Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Lynchburg

Next in Line: No. 2 Emory

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Washington & Lee, No. 4 Catholic, No. 5 Shenandoah

Notes: Lynchburg and Emory are virtually interchangeable at the top. You could see that last year when they tied with 40 points at the end of the regional meet (Lynchburg won on the tiebreaker). Both the Hornets and the Eagles return five of their top-7 runners from those squads, including six who combined to finish in the top-10.

West Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

Next in Line: No. 2 George Fox

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Colorado College, No. 4 UC Santa Cruz, No. 5 Pomona-Pitzer

Notes: Depth won’t be an issue for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in 2024, but the team needs someone who fill the void left by top runner Natalie Bitetti. George Fox returns five of its top-7 runners from last year’s NCAA squad, including two-time All-American Kayla Aalpoel.