2024 NCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Preseason
NEW ORLEANS – It’s a South Central party.
Here is the preseason edition of the NCAA DII 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 South Central Region are in the top-10 of the preseason index, including two of the top three squads.
National Coaches’ Polls are presented by AthleticNET.
NCAA Division II — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Adams State
Adams State
2
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
3
Western Colorado
Western Colorado
4
Augustana (S.D.)
Augustana (S.D.)
5
CSU Pueblo
CSU Pueblo
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
In a unanimous decision, Adams State was named the favorite to take home the NCAA DII title this fall in Sacramento, California. The Grizzlies, who finished runner-up last year, are slated to return six of their top seven. Most notably is Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, Tristian Spence, who will be entering her sophomore campaign after crossing the line 16th last year at NCAAs. She will lead a pack of three other All-Americans in a quest to secure the 21st trophy in school history.
Reigning champions Grand Valley State is slotted into the No. 2 spot. The Lakers will be hard-pressed to try and repeat last year’s performance, which saw four women in the top-15. GVSU’s journey back to the top starts with rebuilding a roster that will be missing the dynamic duo of Natalie Grabber (third) and Klaudia O’Malley (eighth). One of the few weapons GVSU acquired during the offseason is Lilly Alberts, a junior transfer out of Harper (Ill.) who just so happens to be the 2023 NJCAA Division III cross country individual champion.
Western Colorado is garnering a great deal of attention, and for good reason. The Mountaineers find themselves at the No. 3 position due to the fact that their entire starting lineup from the 2023 NCAA Championships is back for another round. It’s hard to go wrong with experience or chemistry and there’s a surplus of both here. Top-ten finisher Allison Beasley will guide the way once again, closely followed by teammate Leah Taylor who grabbed 13th.
After hovering just outside of the top five the majority of last season, Augustana (S.D.) has reached promised land. The Vikings were awarded the No. 4 slot after a stellar regular season last year where they collected four victories, highlighted by a win at the Roy Griak Invitational Maroon 6k. Augustana’s (S.D.) success transferred well to the postseason where they finished seventh in the country and notched their first ever All-American thanks to Aubrey Surage (34th). The senior is back to head the charge with a handful of 2023 All-Central Region honorees by her side.
CSU Pueblo rounds out the top five with their highest ranking in school history. The best part about this news? The Thunderwolves are coming off of an 11th place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships and will begin the season with an identical roster that features two-time All-American Helen Braybrook. The senior out of Great Britain spent the summer competing at her country’s 2024 Olympic Trials and will be aiming to improve on her 24th place finish.
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in the preseason: No. 6 Wingate, No. 7 Lee (Tenn.), No. 8 Lewis, No. 9 Western Washington and No. 10 UC-Colorado Springs.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 23, because that’s when the 2024 NCAA DII Cross Country Championships will be held at the Arcade Creek Cross Country Course in Sacramento, California.
