2024 NCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 5
NEW ORLEANS – Here is Week 5 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).
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
Colo. School of Mines
Colo. School of Mines
5
Lewis
Lewis
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
The biggest meet of the weekend was the Lewis XC Crossover, which featured four top-ten teams. In the end, No. 4 Colorado School of Mines landed on top. The Orediggers flexed their depth, scoring 1-6-14-17-38. Redshirt senior Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge continues to shine, finishing 11 seconds ahead of the rest of the field to take home the individual title (20:38). The Orediggers are putting together quite the resume leading up to the RMAC Cross Country Championships on October 25.
Right behind them was another top-five team, host No. 5 Lewis, who scored 114 to place second. No. 2 Grand Valley State ran a limited squad, but still finished third in the team scoring. The Lakers showcased their depth without four of their top runners in the race, which should set them up well for the GLIAC Cross Country Championships on October 26.
No. 14 Alaska-Fairbanks put together a successful day to place fifth as a team, which moved them up five spots in the National Coaches’ Poll. Seniors Kendall Kramer (20:54) and Rosie Fordham (21:05) recorded top-5 individual finishes for the Nanooks. Finally, No. 18 Colorado Christian came out with a bang, placing seventh in the team field. The Cougars defeated ranked squads including No. 19 Biola and No. 25 Winona State, which boosted their ranking by 11 spots.
While most of the top-ten competed in Romeoville, Illinois, another squad entered the fold at the University of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers Invitational. Enter No. 10 Pittsburg State, which jumped six spots after winning the team crown. The Gorillas scored 62 points to edge out No. 12 Chico State by just five points. Redshirt senior Kate Strader led the Gorillas with her fourth place finish in 21:03.
No. 7 Western Colorado, No. 16 U-Mary, No. 20 Fort Hays State, No. 22 Rogers State, No. 23 Fort Lewis, and No. 26 Cedarville also moved up this week.
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.
