2024 NJCAA DI Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 4
NEW ORLEANS – After being No. 1 four-straight times, Salt Lake (Utah) CC gained some company in terms of first-place votes in the final edition of the 2024 NJCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
That company from Region 18 rival College of Southern Idaho, and the two bring plenty of firepower as favorites to the 2024 NJCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, to be held in 10 days on Saturday, November 9, at Pole Green Park near Richmond, Virginia.
National Coaches’ Polls are presented by AthleticNET.
NJCAA Division I — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Salt Lake (Utah) CC
Salt Lake (Utah) CC
2
Southern Idaho
Southern Idaho
3
Iowa Central CC
Iowa Central CC
4
Crowder (Mo.)
Crowder (Mo.)
5
Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Separated by about 150 miles, Salt Lake (2023) and Southern Idaho (2022, 2021) collectively hold the last three national team titles. Without a regional championship, they raced against each other at the Utah Open, with the Bruins edging the Golden Eagles by three points (76-79) as the leading JUCO teams (CSI would have won a head-to-head dual meet, 27-29).
They share a common team makeup in that most scorers finish close to each other with multiple runners earning team low-stick honors this fall.
Salt Lake has been led twice by Angelina Lione and once each by Lindsie Fausett and Naomi Sotelo. Fausett is the lone returner from last year’s championship team and won the 10,000-meter crown at the NJCAA DI Outdoor Championships in May.
Southern Idaho has been led twice each by Rozzlyn Cazier and Laurie Davidson plus once by Madelyn Christsensen. Cazier is the leading returner from last year’s NJCAA DI Cross Country Championships (sixth) while Christensen is also a returning scorer from the Golden Eagles team that finished fourth at nationals.
Iowa Central CC continues at No. 3. Led by individual champ Yididiya Bifa, the Tritons won the Region 11 Championships with 21 points as Maud Lambotte, Abbi Hutchinson and Imane Jourji went 3-4-5 with sub-19 clockings. Iowa Central missed the meet last year but has been top-6 every year since 2007 except for the 2020 season due to COVID-19 – a run that includes eight titles.
No. 4 for the third-straight poll is Crowder (Mo.), a sensation this year with a program best finish at the nationals of 17th last year. Four freshmen have contributed greatly to the Roughriders with three earning team honors – Region 16 champion Faith Jeptoo (twice), Pelisha Kosgei (twice) and Mercy Kibuigut (once).
Climbing into to the top-5 for the first time this year is Hutchinson (Kan.) CC, which was a narrow runner-up in the Region 6 Championships. The Blue Dragons – whose best ever DI finish at nationals is fourth in 2022 – are led by Faith Jepchirchir, who is undefeated against JUCO competition in four races this fall with three individual wins.
Completing the top-10 teams are No. 6 New Mexico JC, No. 7 Butler City (Kan.) CC, No. 8 Dodge City (Kan.) CC, No. 9 Cloud County (Kan.) CC and No. 10 Iowa Western CC. Another individual to watch is Elizabeth Ilanda of No. 11 Odessa (Texas); she is undefeated against JUCO competition this year and clocked the two fastest 5k times in the history of Harry McAdams Park in Hobbs, New Mexico – while winning by margins of 55.8 seconds and 1:11.3.
