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

NEW ORLEANS – Cross country is back!

Here is the preseason edition of the NCAA DII 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 9.

Atlantic Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Charleston (W.Va.), No. 2 Slippery Rock, No. 3 Davis & Elkins

Next in Line: No. 4 Bloomsburg

Also in the Hunt: No. 5 Shippensburg

Notes: After 74 points and a team title at the 2023 Atlantic Regional Championships, the Charleston (W.Va.) Golden Eagles established themselves as clear favorite in the preseason poll. One spot below, Slippery Rock split their losses this offseason by adding three freshmen to the mix to accompany the four returning members. Together, The Rock should be in for a favorable outcome. Davis & Elkins on the other hand has their entire roster back for another go.

Central Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Augustana (S.D.), No. 2 Pittsburg State, No. 3 U-Mary

Next in Line: No. 4 Winona State

Also in the Hunt: No. 5 Missouri Southern

Notes: Given last year’s results at the Central Region Championships and the losses Winona State faced, Augustana (S.D.) is the team to chase. Aubrey Surage will pioneer the way after becoming the Vikings first ever All-American with a 34th place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships. Pittsburg State is a perfect five for five on returners from last year’s third place team and should pose the biggest threat. Not to be left out of the conversation however is U-Mary, who one ups the Gorillas with six of seven returners. The Marauders saw a 19th place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships after being left off the polls to open the season. 

East Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Roberts Wesleyan, No. 2 Southern Connecticut, No. 3 St. Michaels

Next in Line: No. 4 Daemen

Also in the Hunt: No. 5 SNHU

Notes: Roberts Wesleyan is top dog in the East Region to start the season but don’t think for a second that Southern Connecticut isn’t right on their heels. The Redhawks will see three of their top nine individuals back while the Owls will have four of their top eighteen. The former gets the nod due to playing host for the 2023 championships this fall. And don’t forget about St. Michaels either as the Purple Knights will look to four sophomores to build on their promising freshman arcs. 

Midwest Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Grand Valley State, No. 2 Lewis, No. 3 Cedarville

Next in Line: No. 4 Wayne State (Mich.)

Also in the Hunt: No. 5 Walsh

Notes: Talk about a new look. Five of the top seven at Grand Valley State are gone which just so happens to include the 1-4 spots. All that said, they are still favored in the Midwest Region as the reigning NCAA Champions. What normally is a tall task for Lewis might be a tad easier returning all seven athletes from their 2023 campaign. Alongside a speedy transfer, watch out because there might be fireworks this go around. Cedarville slides in at the three spot with an All-American at the helm in Hannah Rhem. 

South Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Lee (Tenn.), No. 2 Tampa, No. 3 Florida Southern

Next in Line: No. 4 Palm Beach Atlantic

Also in the Hunt: No. 5 Mississippi College

Notes: Despite losing four of their top seven, Lee (Tenn.) is still a force to be reckoned with. Vaulting them into the top spot in the South Region is a group of new prospects who finished top-100 at the 2023 NCAA Championships. Arguably stronger than last year, Tampa is drawing attention for their spread at the top of the pack which is closing in on 30 seconds. A new number one could be the missing piece to the puzzle. Florida Southern is following the tried and true strategy of consistency. No changes means another year of experience under the belt which can only benefit. 

South Central Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Adams State, No. 2 Western Colorado, No. 3 CSU Pueblo

Next in Line: No. 4 UC-Colorado Springs

Also in the Hunt: No. 5 Colo. School of Mines

Notes: Historically, it’s impossible to go wrong picking Adams State. The Grizzlies have won more than their fair share of South Central Regional titles and bringing back five of the top seven that led to a victory last year is hard to argue against. Tracking them down is Western Colorado who rounded out the 2023 regional podium with 93 points. Notably, the Mountaineers return third place finisher Allison Beasley. CSU Pueblo fell into perhaps the best outcome, suffering no losses while adding more talent. The Thunderwolves will be eager to improve after clinching sixth place last year. 

Southeast Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Wingate, No. 2 Catawba, No. 3 Flagler

Next in Line: No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne

Also in the Hunt: No. 5 Anderson (S.C.)

Notes: It’s always a good sign when a top ten finish at the NCAA Championship doesn’t appear to be the ceiling. Wingate has fallen into that boat and thus sits on top of the Southeast Region. The Bulldogs have four of their top five from last year slated to toe the line and even sprinkled in a few newcomers. Catawba bolstered their slightly depleted roster with two mid-distance standouts while Flagler copy pasted their 2023 top seven. Both squads should contend at a high level once again. 

West Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Western Washington, No. 2 Chico State, No. 3 Biola

Next in Line: No. 4 Alaska Fairbanks

Also in the Hunt: No. 5 Concordia-Irvine

Notes: Western Washington’s one-two punch is formidable to say the least. Combined with a degree of depth that fills out any cracks, the Vikings hold the number one position in the West Region. Chico State’s formula is stability and it seems to be working. The Wildcats just continue to improve as their 13th place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships dictated. Six out of seven back and they might as well be a lock. Biola is no pushover either. The Eagles also returned five individuals.