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

NEW ORLEANS – NCAA Division III came to run this past weekend. 

Here is the Week 6 edition of the NCAA DIII Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings for the 2024 season, as released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track and 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 16.

EAST REGION 

Projected AQ: No. 1 MIT 

Next in Line: No. 2 Tufts 

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Bates, No. 4 Bowdoin, No. 5 Colby  

Notes: Colby ascends into the top-5 for the first time since the preseason rankings. The Mules raced their way to a 16th place team finish at the Connecticut College Invitational. MIT would win the Women’s Blue 6k at the Connecticut College Invitational, with Tufts coming in seventh, Bates in 14th, and Bowdoin in 15th.

GREAT LAKES REGION

Projected AQ: No. 1 Calvin

Next in Line: No. 2 DePauw

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 John Carroll, No. 4 Trine, No. 5 Ohio Wesleyan 

Notes: Calvin, DePauw, Trine, and Ohio Wesleyan ran to impressive finishes at the Augustana Interregional Invitational. The Knights finished fifth, led by junior Sophie Bull and senior Jenna Allman’s seventh and eighth place individual finishes. The Tigers, the Thunder, and the Battling Bishops placed not far behind in sixth, seventh, and 11th, respectively. 

METRO REGION

Projected AQ: No. 1 Rowan

Next in Line: No. 2 Swarthmore

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 TCNJ, No. 4 Stockton, No. 5 Moravian 

Notes: Rowan reclaims the No. 1 position after a superb runner-up team finish at the Rowan Interregional Border Battle. Swarthmore was right behind Rowan, finishing third at the same meet. Stockton would place 11th at the Interregional Border Battle. TCNJ and Moravian went head-to-head at the Mike Woods Invitational hosted by SUNY Geneseo. TCNJ would place 11th as a team, with Moravian 46 points behind in 12th. 

MID-ATLANTIC REGION 

Projected AQ: No. 1 Johns Hopkins 

Next in Line: No. 2 Carnegie Mellon

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Gettysburg, No. 4 Grove City, No. 5 Dickinson 

Notes: Johns Hopkins had a dominating win at the Rowan Interregional Border Battle. Juniors Adriana Catalano and Cooper Brotherton, freshman Sydney Shock, and senior Phoebe White placed first through fourth individually, helping the Blue Jays win the race with a total of 18 points. Carnegie Mellon and Dickinson dueled at the Mike Woods Invitational, with the Tartans placing second and the Red Devils placing eighth. 

MIDEAST REGION

Projected AQ: No. 1 Williams 

Next in Line: No. 2 Amherst 

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 RPI, No. 4 Middlebury, No. 5 Connecticut College 

Notes: Williams soars to the No. 1 position after an impressive third place team finish at the Connecticut College Invitational. Amherst, Middlebury, and Connecticut College would also race at the Connecticut College Invitational with the Mammoths in a strong fifth. 

MIDWEST REGION 

Projected AQ: No. 1 Washington (Mo.) 

Next in Line: No. 2 UChicago 

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Wartburg, No. 4 Central (Iowa), No. 5 Wheaton 

Notes: Washington (Mo.) leapfrogs UChicago to No. 1. The Bears placed second as a team at the Augustana Interregional Invitational, led by junior Jillian Heth’s 12th place individual finish. 

NIAGARA REGION

Projected AQ: No. 1 NYU

Next in Line: No. 2 SUNY Geneseo 

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Hamilton, No. 4 Ithaca, No. 5 Rochester 

Notes: SUNY Geneseo ran to a routine victory at its own Mike Woods Invitational, while Ithaca and Rochester (N.Y.) also featured in the same race. The Bombers ended up fifth in the team standings with the Yellowjackets not too far behind in sixth place.

NORTH REGION

Projected AQ: No. 1 Carleton 

Next in Line: No. 2 UW-La Crosse

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 St. Olaf, No. 4 UW-Stout, No. 5 UW-Oshkosh 

Notes: UW-Stout skyrockets to No. 4 after a magnificent race at the Augustana Interregional Invitational. The Blue Devils finished fourth, with senior Brekkyn Lammert taking charge and finishing 14th individually. St. Olaf and UW-Oshkosh both traveled to Waterford, Connecticut, for the Connecticut College Invitational. The Oles would finish sixth, and the Warhawks would finish 12th. 

SOUTH REGION

Projected AQ: No. 1 Emory 

Next in Line: No. 2 Washington and Lee 

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Lynchburg, No. 4 Shenandoah, No. 5 Catholic 

Notes: Washington and Lee leapfrogs Lynchburg for the No. 2 position in Week 6. The Generals had a great run at the Connecticut College Invitational, finishing fourth as a team. Shenandoah and Catholic both raced at the Rowan Interregional Border Battle, having impressive runs as well. The Hornets finished seventh, with the Cardinals only four points behind in eighth. 

WEST REGION 

Projected AQ: No. 1 Colorado College 

Next in Line: No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Pomona-Pitzer, No. 4 UC-Santa Cruz, No. 5 George Fox 

Notes: Colorado College dominated the Augustana Interregional Invitational, taking the team title with a score of 56 points. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Pomona-Pitzer went head-to-head at the Pomona-Pitzer XC Invitational. The Athenas would take the team title, taking the top three individual finishes as well.

Gwyneth Young is a junior studying criminal justice and communications at Elizabethtown College. She is a distance runner on the Blue Jays cross country and track and field teams, where her main events are the 1500 and the 5000. She is originally from Lebanon, Pennsylvania and graduated from Cedar Crest High School, where she ran cross country and track and field as well.