2024 NCAA DII Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Week 6

NEW ORLEANS – Buckle up: NCAA DII Conference Championship Weekend wrapped up – and there a lot to unpack.

This is the final 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 weight returning team’s 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 Championship Saturday is set for Saturday, November 9, where the top 3 teams in each region automatically advance to the upcoming NCAA DII Cross Country Championships.

Atlantic Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Davis and Elkins, No. 2 Slippery Rock, No. 3 Shippensburg

Next in Line: No. 4 East Stroudsburg

In the Hunt: No. 5 Kutztown

No. 1 Davis and Elkins kept rolling this week, winning the MEC championship. The next four regionally-ranked teams finished in the same order at the PSAC Championships. No. 2 Slippery Rock took home the team win, and No. 3 Shippensburg recorded their best team finish in six years by placing second. 

Central Region

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

Next in Line: No. 4 Winona State

In the Hunt: No. 5 Rogers State

No. 1 Augustana (S.D.) returned to the top of the region this week, as the Vikings won their ninth straight NSIC title. No. 3 U-Mary followed them in the team scoring, placing second overall and taking home the individual honor as Alyssa Becker won in 19:51. Over at the MIAA Championships, No. 2 Pittsburg State won their third straight conference title. The Gorillas put three runners in the top 6 to keep the MIAA crown at home. No. 5 Rogers State finished in second, granting them a top 5 spot in our rankings. It’s the best finish at the conference meet in Hillcat history.

East Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Roberts Wesleyan, No. 2 Daeman, No. 3 Bentley

Next in Line: No. 4 SNHU

In the Hunt: No. 5 St. Anselm

No. 1 Roberts Wesleyan can now say they have a decade of winning under their belt – the Redhawks won their tenth consecutive East Coast Conference team title on Saturday. The Redhawks had four runners in the top 5 to make sure the streak continued. No. 3 Bentley made history at the NE-10 Championships, winning its first team title in school history. It was a close one, with the Falcons just edging out No. 4 SNHU by three points. No. 5 St. Anselm finished third at the same meet and rounds out the top 5. 

Midwest Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Grand Valley State, No. 2 Lewis, No. 3 Wayne State

Next in Line: No. 4 Walsh

In the Hunt: No. 5 Cedarville

In fitting fashion, No. 1 GVSU scored 23 points to take home their 23rd consecutive GLIAC crown. In her first race of the year, junior Lauren Kiley brought home the individual honors in 20:46. No. 3 Wayne State shifted into the top 3 after placing second overall at the GLIAC Championships. Over in Illinois, No. 2 Lewis won their third straight GLVC title with a perfect score – they had nine runners in the top ten. No. 4 Walsh continued its winning ways, taking first at the GMAAC Championships. The Cavaliers scraped by No. 5 Cedarville, winning the GMAC title by a mere two points. 

South Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Lee, No. 2 Nova Southeastern, No. 3 Florida Southern

Next in Line: No. 4 Tampa

In the Hunt: No. 5 Alabama-Huntsville

No. 1 Lee (Tenn.) swept the top five spots of the Gulf South Conference Championships to win their eighth consecutive team title. The Flames are the first team in GSCC history to post a perfect score of 15 at the meet. No. 5 Alabama-Huntsville finished behind them in second. No. 2 Nova Southeastern won their first conference title in school history at Sunshine State Conference Championships. No. 3 Florida Southern and No. 4 Tampa finished in second and third, respectively.

South Central Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Adams State, No. 2 CSU-Pueblo, No. 3 Colorado School of Mines

Next in Line: No. 4 West Texas A&M

In the Hunt: No. 5 UCCS

No. 1 Adams State absolutely dominated the RMAC Championships, winning by more than 50 points. It’s the Grizzlies’ 35th team title in school history. No. 2 CSU-Pueblo finished in second overall, and how about No. 5 UC-Colorado Springs? The Mountain Lions came into the meet ranked fifth, but pulled off a huge third place team finish. No. 3 Colorado School of Mines finished in sixth, but did not field their full varsity squad to compete. No. 4 West Texas competed at the Lone Star Conference Championships, sweeping the 1-2-3 spots to win their fourth conference title.

Southeast Region

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

Next in Line: No. 4 Lincoln Memorial

In the Hunt: No. 5 Anderson (S.C.)

No. 1 Wingate and No. 2 Catawba went 1-2 at the SAC Championships, with Wingate putting four of their top five in the top ten. Junior Madison Clay secured the individual win for Catawba. No. 4 Lincoln Memorial and No. 5 Anderson (S.C.) followed in the standings, placing third and fourth, respectively. Meanwhile, No. 3 Flagler won their third straight Peach Belt Conference title. Overall, there were no changes to the Southeast region this week – rankings that have held strong all season long.

West Region

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

Next in Line: No. 4 Cal State Stanislaus

In the Hunt: No. 5 Alaska Fairbanks

No. 1 Chico State now has a pair of CCAA titles, thanks to its pair of twins! Della and Iresh Molina finished 1-2 to lead the way for the Wildcats’ second straight CCAA title over former No. 2 Cal State Stanislaus. No. 2 Western Washington won its third straight GNAC title, with No. 5 Alaska Fairbanks finishing close behind in second. Finally, No. 3 Biola took home their third straight Pac West Conference championship.

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.