2025 NJCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Preseason

NEW ORLEANSMesa (Ariz.) CC is a unanimous selection as No. 1 in the preseason edition of the 2025 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).

The 2025 NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships are set to take place at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Saturday, November 8.

National Coaches’ Polls are presented by AthleticNET.

NJCAA Division II — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
Muskegon (Mich.) CC
Cowley (Kan.)
1
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
2
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC
3
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
4
Muskegon (Mich.) CC
5
Cowley (Kan.)
Cross Country Polls & Rankings

No. 1 Mesa returns four from last year’s championship team – three of those were scorers who finished in the top-15 in Kinsley Jackson (sixth), Katie Munoz (13th) and Marissa Hernandez (15th). Incoming freshmen include Olivia Baker, who led the squad at last weekend’s Mesa Early Bird Open.

Wallace State (Ala.) CC is No. 2, equaling its best-ever ranking. The Lions were fourth last year and return two of their top-3 in Reagan Paris (29th) and Grace Gosline (41st).

No. 3 Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC was runner-up last year after a third-place finish in ’23. The Pumas have once scorer returning in Laynee Hollech (seventh).

Muskegon (Mich.) CC is No. 4 with their first top-10 appearance since 2020. The Jayhawks were 19th in last year’s nationals and return their top-3 plus add transfer Tatum Dykstra, who was the No. 3 runner on SCAD Atlanta’s NAIA 17th-place squad last year.

No. 5 Cowley (Kan.) was eighth last year after winning the 2023 title. The Tigers return just one scorer from last year in Pauline Althoff but are excited about a large group of middle-distance athletes running cross country for the first time.

Rounding out the top-10: No. 6 Daytona State (Fla.), No. 7 Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC, No. 8 Lansing (Mich.) CC, No. 9 Coconino (Ariz.) CC and No. 10 NorthWest Arkansas CC.

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

2025 Preseason - August 27th

RANK TEAM & INFOPTS2024
FINAL
1 mesa-ariz-cc MESA (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1
Dan Pescador (11th)
300
(15 fpv)
1
2 wallace-state-hanceville-ala-cc WALLACE STATE-HANCEVILLE (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Tony Crider (2nd)
275 4
3 paradise-valley-ariz-cc PARADISE VALLEY (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1
David Barney (30th)
266 2
4 muskegon-mich-cc MUSKEGON (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Nick Macinkowski (4th)
258 19
5 cowley-kan COWLEY (KAN.)
West Region
Region 6
Cameron Rieth (8th)
231 8
6 daytona-state-fla DAYTONA STATE (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Judy Wilson (8th)
212 16
7 des-moines-area-iowa-cc DES MOINES AREA (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Michael Melchert (6th)
194 3
8 lansing-mich-cc LANSING (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Jim Robinson (17th)
180 9
9 coconino-ariz-cc COCONINO (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1
Craig Hunt
172 ---
10 northwest-arkansas-cc NORTHWEST ARKANSAS CC
West Region
Region 2
Josphat Boit (5th)
168 15
11 st-clair-county-mich-cc ST. CLAIR COUNTY (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Andrea Rheaume (4th)
127 ---
12 southeastern-iowa-cc SOUTHEASTERN (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Christian Watters (1st)
110 18
13 pasco-hernando-fla PASCO-HERNANDO (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Jacki Waller (21st)
108 7
14 northeast-alabama-cc NORTHEAST ALABAMA CC
Central Region
Region 22
John Moore (1st)
107 28
15 calhoun-ala-cc CALHOUN (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Dante Dorsey (2nd)
100 11
16 eastern-florida-state EASTERN FLORIDA STATE
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Doug Butler (4th)
67 ---
17 southwestern-michigan SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Zachary Sartori (5th)
51 ---
18 gadsden-state-ala-cc GADSDEN STATE (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Jackson Millander (2nd)
45 30
19 shelton-state-ala-cc SHELTON STATE (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Charles Tiller (3rd)
41 10
20 kaskaskia-ill KASKASKIA (ILL.)
Midwest Region
Region 24
Mike Hargis (15th)
36 35
21 state-fair-mo STATE FAIR (MO.)
Central Region
Region 16
Kellin Loch (1st)
30 37
22 ua-rich-mountain-ark UA RICH MOUNTAIN (ARK.)
West Region
Region 2
Samantha Shores (8th)
25 14
23 moraine-valley-ill-cc MORAINE VALLEY (ILL.) CC
Midwest Region
Region 4
Dimitri Dimizas (10th)
19 26
24 grand-rapids-mich-cc GRAND RAPIDS (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Sharon Becker (5th)
17 5
25 gulf-coast-state-fla GULF COAST STATE (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Tom Dever (2nd)
11 23


Week-by-Week Ranking

TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2Week #3
Mesa (Ariz.) CC1121
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC3112
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC2333
Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC7874
Muskegon (Mich.) CC4445
Daytona State (Fla.)6566
NorthWest Arkansas CC101057
St. Clair County (Mich.) CC1111118
Northeast Alabama CC1413159
Mott (Mich.) CC9910
Southeastern (Iowa) CC126811
Grand Rapids (Mich.) CC24241812
Gulf Coast State (Fla.)25RVRV12
Lansing (Mich.) CC871214
Gadsden State (Ala.) CC18201915
Calhoun (Ala.) CC15121016
Carl Albert State (Okla.)21RV17
Shelton State (Ala.) CC19221718
Southwestern Michigan17141319
Macomb (Mich.) CC171920
Eastern Florida State1623RV21
Pasco-Hernando (Fla.)13152222
Cowley (Kan.)5161623
Coconino (Ariz.) CC9RV1424
North Iowa Area CC25
Lake Land (Ill.)21RV
Montcalm (Mich.) CC2523RV
Moraine Valley (Ill.) CC231925RV
State Fair (Mo.)2118RVRV
UA Rich Mountain (Ark.)22RVRVRV
Jacksonville (Texas)RVRVRV
South Florida StateRVRV
Lake-Sumter State (Fla.)RVRV
Murray State (Okla.)RVRV
Florida State-JacksonvilleRV
Florida GatewayRV
Kaskaskia (Ill.)20RV24
Bay (Mich.)RV
Kirtland (Mich.) CCRV
Northeast Mississippi CCRV

USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II Cross Country

2025 Rankings & Polls Calendar
Weeks National Coaches' Poll KEY DATES
PreseasonWed 8/27
MEN | WOMEN
Week 1Wed 9/17
MEN | WOMEN
Week 2Wed 10/1
MEN | WOMEN
Week 3Wed 10/15
MEN | WOMEN
Week 4Wed 10/29
FINAL Results
(official final ranking)
Sat 11/8