2024 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 4
NEW ORLEANS – A big-time weekend with big-time races!
Statement wins and big-time upsets shook up the Week 4 edition of the 2024 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
National Coaches’ Polls are presented by AthleticNET.
NCAA Division I — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
BYU
BYU
2
Washington
Washington
3
Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona
4
West Virginia
West Virginia
5
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
After a dominant performance at the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals, the BYU women took the No. 1 spot in the National Coaches’ Poll. The Cougars earned all 11 first-place votes, marking the first time this season that there is a unanimous top-ranked program. In Wisconsin, the lethal trio of
Lexy Halladay-Lowry, Carmen Alder, and Jenna Hutchins all finished inside the top-20. Behind them, four more Cougars piled inside the top-50, more than enough to put all seven runners in front of every other team’s sixth runner. The newly-minted No. 1 team posted a 19:52 6k average over the weekend, one of just two squads with an average quicker than 20:00.
Washington once again showcased its depth as six Huskies finished 51st or better. Chloe Foerster was the squad’s frontrunner for the first time this season, finishing 16th in 19:50.6. Both India Weir and Maeve Stiles finished closely behind in 28th and 30th, enough to fend off Northern Arizona for runner-up honors.
The Lumberjacks, who were just nine points back of Washington, dropped two spots to No. 3. NAU was led by senior Ali Upshaw, who finished 19th in 19:53.6, her fastest time of the year.
As the biggest movers throughout the entire National Coaches’ Poll, West Virginia jumped all the way up to No. 4 after heading into Pre-Nationals ranked 25th. The Mountaineers fired on all cylinders and had as perfect of a day as they could have wished. Ceili McCabe and Joy Naukot led the way in fourth and tenth, while Emily Bryce, Madison Trippett, and Sarah Tait crossed in 50th, 61st, and 82nd, all enough to hold off No. 5 Notre Dame, 207-216.
Speaking of the Irish, Notre Dame rounds out the top-5 teams in Week 4, dropping a spot following their head-to-head losses against the four teams ahead of them. Seniors Siona Chisholm and Emily Covert finished 12th and 15th, helping fend off New Mexico, who moved up nine spots to No. 8 this week.
Three-time defending national champions NC State fell all the way to No. 10 after a seventh place finish in Wisconsin. This is the Wolfpack’s first time out of the top-5 since 2019.
Right outside of the top-10 is Florida State at No. 13. The Seminoles went from receiving votes all the way into the top-15 following its ninth-place finish at Pre-Nationals.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 23, because that’s when the 2024 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships will be held at Zimmer Championship Course in Madison, Wisconsin.
