2024 NCAA DIII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 8
NEW ORLEANS – Only 32 remain.
Who will win the crown?
Here is the final edition of the NCAA DIII Women’s Cross Country National Women’s Poll for the 2024 season, which was released Tuesday by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) ahead of the upcoming NCAA Championships.
National Coaches’ Polls are presented by AthleticNET.
NCAA Division III — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
MIT
MIT
2
Chicago
Chicago
3
Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins
4
Colorado College
Colorado College
5
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
Out of the ten first-place votes available, MIT claimed nine and UChicago grabbed the other.
MIT has been the favorite for the NCAA Championships since Week 4, after showcasing its depth at the DIII Pre-Nationals meet on October 4 to notch a resounding 89-point win. This past weekend, the Engineers proved themselves dominant once again, winning the team title at the East Regional Championships with 56 points. MIT’s athletes packed together, claiming spots 10-11-12-13-15 with a spread of just 12 seconds. The Engineers hope to win their first national title in program history.
UChicago could see a similar – or better – result to the 2022 NCAA DIII Championships, where it finished runner-up to Johns Hopkins. The Maroons continued their upward progression this past weekend, commanding the Midwest Region Championships. UChicago won the team title with an impressive 36 points, placing four of their top-5 runners in the top-10. Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel controlled the race from the start, winning the race by 25 seconds. Battleson-Gunkel quickly asserted herself as a contender for the individual title with that race.
Johns Hopkins continues to hold the No. 3 ranking. The Blue Jays put up a remarkable 36 points to take home the team title this past weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Region Championships. Johns Hopkins placed six athletes in the top-20, imposing its will in the region. The Blue Jays are no stranger to the NCAA podium, winning eight national titles in the past 11 years and finishing runner-up once back in 2018.
Colorado College and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps round out the top-5 of the national rankings heading into the NCAA Championships after a thrilling duel at the West Region Championships. The Athenas narrowly beat the Tigers, 61-62. CMS’s Riley Capuano captured the individual title in 20:54, leading two other teammates into the top-10 at fifth and ninth. Colorado College placed two in the top-10, with Isabel Olson in fourth and Alison Mueller-Hickler in tenth. Both teams are aiming to grab the last podium spot, which can lead to a tight race. CMS has finished top-4 at the NCAA Championships five times with its best finish of second coming in 2021. Colorado College has yet to finish among the top-10 teams at the meet, but have the talent to do so.
Here’s the rest of the top-10 in the final edition of the National Coaches’ Poll for the 2024 season: No. 6 NYU (tie), No. 6 Williams (tie), No. 8 SUNY Geneseo, No. 9 Washington (Mo.), and No. 10 Washington and Lee.
The 2024 NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships are set for Saturday at the LaVern Gibson Championships Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana. You can watch the action LIVE on NCAA.com, starting at 12 pm ET.
