2024 NCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 4
NEW ORLEANS – The top-8 teams held their spots in the newest edition of the 2024 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). However, some new squads entered the fold.
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
CSU Pueblo
CSU Pueblo
4
Augustana (S.D.)
Augustana (S.D.)
5
Colo. School of Mines
Colo. School of Mines
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
No. 1 Adams State and No. 2 Grand Valley State faced a loaded field at Notre Dame’s Joe Piane Invitational. In a race that featured powerhouses Northern Arizona (DI No. 1) and BYU (DI No. 2), the Grizzlies held on for an impressive seventh place team finish with junior Ava O’Connor leading the way in 18th place. The Lakers finished 14th overall, good enough to hold onto their No. 2 spot in the rankings.
Perhaps the biggest story of the weekend came from No. 9 West Texas A&M. The Lady Buffs placed fourth overall at the Live in Lou Classic, over a number of ranked DII teams including No. 13 Lee (Tenn.) and No. 10 UC-Colorado Springs. Freshman Naomi Addo ran like a veteran to lead her team in 18th overall.
West Texas A&M’s jump into ninth place puts five South Central regional teams in the top-10: No. 1 Adams State, No. 3 CSU Pueblo, No. 5 Colorado School of Mines, No. 8 Western Colorado and No. 10 UC-Colorado Springs are the others. Five of those programs will square off at the UC-Colorado Springs Open on Friday, which will be a great appetizer for both the upcoming RMAC Championships and the South Central Region Championships.
Another notable move included Rogers State, going from No. 27 to No. 23. The Hillcats placed a strong second at the Griffon Invitational behind No. 14 Nebraska-Kearney. Rogers State also sent another squad to the Golden Eagle Invitational, which it won with 16 points.
No. 15 Biola (Calif.), No. 16 Pittsburg State, No. 17 U-Mary, and No. 22 Walsh all improved one spot this week as well.
Looking ahead, ten ranked teams will race at the Lewis Crossover this weekend, headlined by athletes from Grand Valley State, Augustana (S.D.), Colorado School of Mines, among others. Not only that, but each of the eight regions will be represented in Romeoville, Illinois.
As always, 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.
Taylor Mascetta is an aspiring sports journalist and a recent graduate of Syracuse University’s master’s program in Broadcast and Digital Journalism. She competed for both Syracuse and Fordham University’s track and field teams over a 5-year NCAA career, which forged her deep passion for the sport both on and off the track. She now works as an announcer with the Armory Track and Field Center, a content creator with the Magic Boost program, and has additional experience covering the NFL and college basketball. You can follow Mascetta’s reporting journey on her X account @TMascettaTV or Instagram @taytay929.
