2024 NJCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 4

NEW ORLEANS – Two rivals from Arizona rotated the top-2 positions in the final edition of the 2024 NJCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Mesa (Ariz.) CC overtook Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC as one or the other has been No. 1 all season long. The final say will come at the 2024 NJCAA Division II 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 II — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
Grand Rapids (Mich.) CC
Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC
Cowley (Kan.)
1
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
2
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
3
Grand Rapids (Mich.) CC
4
Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC
5
Cowley (Kan.)
Cross Country Polls & Rankings

Close and competitive is a good way to describe the top-2. That was evident at the Region 1 Championships, with the Thunderbirds edging the Pumas, 27-29, in what almost could have been scored as a dual meet. The first-place votes in this poll went 9-3 to Mesa after going 10-2 in PVCC’s favor in the previous rankings. Paradise Valley’s third in last year’s NJCAA DII Cross Country Championships is its best-ever finish, while Mesa’s is a runner-up finish by one point in 2022.

Paradise Valley was led by individual champ Keira Damron, who won by 4.6 seconds over Regina Raimo in her first race as Mesa’s top runner after Kinley Jackson had team honors in the previous four races. Mesa’s depth was evident as Carmella Baldwin – third in last year’s nationals – was the Thunderbirds’ No. 5 runner at regionals. Damron was fifth in last year’s nationals.

Rising three spots to No. 3 is Grand Rapids (Mich.) in matching its program high from Week 1 of 2020, the year they earned their best nationals finish of fourth. The Raiders won the Region 12 Championships with four runners in the top-7. Third place individual Elicia Land has led the squad in five of six races this fall.

Remaining No. 4 is Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC, which won the Region 11 Championships with 19 points as Kayden Spencer led a 1-2-3 for the Bears. DMACC’s best nationals finish is the fifth they earned last year.

Defending champion Cowley (Kan.) continues at No. 5. The Tigers were the top DII team at the Region 6 Championships as Kayli Myers – the lone returner from last year’s title-winning squad – earned top DII individual honors.

Rounding out the top-10 teams are No. 6 Heartland (Ill.) CC, No. 7 Wallace State (Ala.) CC, No. 8 Lansing (Mich.) CC, No. 9 UA Rich Mountain (Ark.) and No. 10 Pasco-Hernando (Fla.). Individuals to look for include No. 8 Lansing’s Daisy Speet, who is 3-0 this fall over reigning national champion Olivia Ippel of No. 12 Lake Michigan.

Athletic.net
Presenting sponsor of USTFCCCA Polls and Rankings

USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II
Women's Cross Country National Coaches' Poll

2024 Week 4 - October 30th

RANK TEAM & INFOPTSCHANGE
1 mesa-ariz-cc MESA (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1
Dan Pescador (10th)
237
(9 fpv)
▲ 1
(LW: 2)
2 paradise-valley-ariz-cc PARADISE VALLEY (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1
David Barney (29th)
231
(3 fpv)
▼ 1
(LW: 1)
3 grand-rapids-mich-cc GRAND RAPIDS (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Sharon Becker (4th)
207 ▲ 3
(LW: 6)
4 des-moines-area-iowa-cc DES MOINES AREA (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Michael Melchert (5th)
205 ◀▶
(LW: 4)
5 cowley-kan COWLEY (KAN.)
West Region
Region 6
Cameron Rieth (7th)
186 ◀▶
(LW: 5)
6 heartland-ill-cc HEARTLAND (ILL.) CC
Midwest Region
Region 24
CJ Hamilton (1st)
175 ▲ 1
(LW: 7)
7 wallace-state-hanceville-ala-cc WALLACE STATE-HANCEVILLE (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Tony Crider (1st)
174 ▼ 4
(LW: 3)
8 lansing-mich-cc LANSING (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Jim Robinson (16th)
157 ◀▶
(LW: 8)
9 ua-rich-mountain-ark UA RICH MOUNTAIN (ARK.)
West Region
Region 2
Samantha Shores (7th)
138 ▲ 4
(LW: 13)
10 pasco-hernando-fla PASCO-HERNANDO (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Jacki Waller (18th)
123 ▲ 1
(LW: 11)
11 carl-albert-state-okla CARL ALBERT STATE (OKLA.)
West Region
Region 2
Kristin Snyder (4th)
102 ▲ 4
(LW: 15)
12 lake-michigan LAKE MICHIGAN
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Alan Martens (2nd)
98 ▲ 4
(LW: 16)
13 shelton-state-ala-cc SHELTON STATE (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Charles Tiller (2nd)
86 ▼ 1
(LW: 12)
14 bismarck-state-n-d BISMARCK STATE (N.D.)
West Region
Region 13
Julia Hammerschmidt (1st)
73 ▼ 5
(LW: 9)
15 muskegon-mich-cc MUSKEGON (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Nick Macinkowski (3rd)
67 ▲ 5
(LW: 20)
16 calhoun-ala-cc CALHOUN (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Dante Dorsey (1st)
64 ▼ 6
(LW: 10)
17 northwest-arkansas-cc NORTHWEST ARKANSAS CC
West Region
Region 2
Josphat Boit (4th)
57 ▲ 1
(LW: 18)
18 southeastern-iowa-cc SOUTHEASTERN (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Lucas Keifer (5th)
53 ▼ 1
(LW: 17)
19 moraine-valley-ill-cc MORAINE VALLEY (ILL.) CC
Midwest Region
Region 4
Dimitri Dimizas (9th)
41 NR
20 carl-sandburg-ill CARL SANDBURG (ILL.)
Midwest Region
Region 4
Kim Schrader (1st)
21
(LW: RV)
21 daytona-state-fla DAYTONA STATE (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Judy Wilson (7th)
14 ▲ 2
(LW: 23)
22 gulf-coast-state-fla GULF COAST STATE (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Tom Dever (1st)
5 ▲ 3
(LW: 25)
23 st-clair-county-mich-cc ST. CLAIR COUNTY (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Andrea Rheaume (3rd)
3 ▼ 9
(LW: 14)
24 mott-mich-cc MOTT (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Nathan Elston (1st)
2 ▼ 3
(LW: 21)
25 coconino-ariz-cc COCONINO (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1
Craig Hunt
1
(LW: RV)

Dropped Out: No. 19 Marion Military Institute (Ala.), No. 21 Macomb (Mich.) CC, No. 23 Jacksonville (Texas)



Week-by-Week Ranking

TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2Week #3Week #4FINAL
Mesa (Ariz.) CC112211
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC291122
Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC3104443
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC723374
Grand Rapids (Mich.) CC844635
Heartland (Ill.) CC6139766
Pasco-Hernando (Fla.)133611107
Cowley (Kan.)4217558
Lansing (Mich.) CC9148889
Shelton State (Ala.) CC12812121310
Calhoun (Ala.) CC17611101611
Bismarck State (N.D.)RV51291412
Lake Michigan242525161213
UA Rich Mountain (Ark.)2071013914
NorthWest Arkansas CCRV19181715
Daytona State (Fla.)51718232116
Carl Albert State (Okla.)RV15151117
Southeastern (Iowa) CC91614171818
Muskegon (Mich.) CC161717201519
Jacksonville (Texas)2320
Potomac State (W.Va.)19RVRV21
Carl Sandburg (Ill.)2520RV2022
Gulf Coast State (Fla.)22252223
North Iowa Area CC24
Florida Gateway21RV2325
Moraine Valley (Ill.) CCRVRV1926
South Florida StateRV2327
Northeast Alabama CC1420RVRV28
Mott (Mich.) CC1924212429
Gadsden State (Ala.) CC221221RV30
Lake-Sumter State (Fla.)RVRV31
Florida State-Jacksonville32
College of Central FloridaRV33
Murray State (Okla.)34
Kaskaskia (Ill.)35
Pellissippi State (Tenn.) CCRV36
State Fair (Mo.)RV37
Northeast Mississippi CC38
Walters State (Tenn.) CC39
Tallahassee State (Fla.)40
Jefferson State (Ala.) CC41
St. Clair County (Mich.) CC1111161423
Coconino (Ariz.) CC15RVRV25
Marion Military Institute (Ala.)RV2419
Macomb (Mich.) CC152121
Waubonsee (Ill.) CC22RV
Allen (Kan.) CCRVRV
Dawson (Mont.) CCRV
Southwestern Michigan18

USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II Cross Country

2024 Rankings & Polls Calendar
Weeks National Coaches' Poll KEY DATES
PreseasonWed 9/4
MEN | WOMEN
Week 1Wed 9/18
MEN | WOMEN
Week 2Wed 10/2
MEN | WOMEN
Week 3Wed 10/16
MEN | WOMEN
Week 4Wed 10/30
MEN | WOMEN
Sat., Nov. 9 - NJCAA Championships (Richmond, Va.)
FINAL Results
(official final ranking)
Sat 11/9
MEN | WOMEN