2025 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Week 2

NEW ORLEANS – The Gans Creek Classic shakes up the rankings. 

Here is the newest edition of the 2025 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings, which were released on Monday by the U.S. Track & 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.

All of these teams have November 14, Regional Championships Friday, circled on their calendar as they hope to clinch one of the two automatic qualifier spots in their region. Those two qualifiers, along with at-large teams will take on the 2025 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 22, in Columbia, Missouri. 

Great Lakes Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Michigan State

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 4 Ohio, No. 5 Michigan

Notes: No movement this week, but there was racing to be had over the past few weeks.

Notre Dame holds steady at the top spot after a dominating effort at the National Catholic Invitational. The Fighting Irish swept the top-13 spots, putting six runners at 16:50 or faster over the 5k course.

Michigan State cemented its No. 2 rankings with its performance at the Gans Creek Classic. The Spartans placed 13th in the Gold Race and beat regional rivals Michigan and Ohio State. Sophomore Rachel Forsyth continues to be the low stick for Michigan State, placing 28th overall, running 6k in just under 20 minutes.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 West Virginia

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Georgetown, No. 4 Princeton, No. 5 Villanova

Notes: It has been a quiet week in the Mid-Atlantic as top-ranked Penn State and second-ranked West Virginia trained through September in advance of October. We’ll see the Nittany Lions at the Paul Short Run and the Mountaineers at the Louisville Classic.

Midwest Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Oklahoma State, No. 2 Iowa State

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Northwestern, No. 4 Missouri, No. 5 Minnesota

Notes: The Cowgirls stay at the top of the Midwest Region following a strong performance at the Cowboy Jamboree where they placed second just behind reigning national champions BYU. Isca Chelangat’s 19:59 over a difficult 6k course in Stillwater was enough to take the individual title and lead Oklahoma State to a top five average of 20:41. Maureen Rutoh and Billah Jepkirui in 5th and 7th respectively also ones to lookout for as the Cowgirls make a push in November. 

Iowa State moves up into the second spot this week as they returned to racing at Gans Creek after nearly a month off. The Cyclones had a strong showing in Columbia, Missouri, headlined by Mercyline Kirwa’s debut where she placed 3rd overall, running 19:13, just 6 seconds out of the top spot on Friday. Behind her, Iowa State’s top five averaged 20:03, placing 7th in the Gold Race, but were only five points out of fifth. With Mercy Kibet having yet to debut and sub-16 5k runner Bella Heikes not running, the Cyclones have more in the coffers. 

Mountain Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 BYU, No. 2 New Mexico

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Northern Arizona, No. 4 Colorado, No. 5 Utah

Notes: Reigning national champions BYU stay atop the Mountain Region following their performance at the Cowboy Jamboree this weekend. The Cougars averaged 20:30 to come away with the team title over the Midwest’s best Oklahoma State and regional rivals New Mexico. With junior Jenna Hutchins and high school phenom Jane Hedengren yet to run this year, the outlook for the Cougars just keeps getting better. 

New Mexico remains in second after a third-place finish at the Cowboy Jamboree. Missing potential scorers Natalie Bitetti, Pamela Kosgei, and Judy Rono, the Lobos averaged 20:47 from their top five and were just eight points behind second-place Oklahoma State when it came time to tally scores. New Mexico has yet to show their full strength and fans will have to wait until later in the season to see a full-power Lobos squad. 

Northeast Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Providence, No. 2 Boston College

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Syracuse, No. 4 Harvard, No. 5 Connecticut

Notes: It was a slow week in the Northeast Region as top-ranked Providence and second-ranked Boston College didn’t race. Both the Friars and the Eagles will compete this weekend at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational in Chicago.

South Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Alabama

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 Mississippi State, No. 5 Ole Miss

Notes: Florida made quick work of the Gans Creek Classic, and in turn, the rest of its South Region opponents in the 6k race. The Gators were led by Judy Chepkoech, Tia Wilson, and Hilda Olemomoi as they went 7-8-9 to help set a top-five average of 19:40.

Alabama finished 19th, seven spots behind Tennessee, but the Crimson Ride await the return of their ace Doris Lemngole and key piece Brenda Tuwei. In the meantime, however, Caren Kipagat continues an impressive season with a 16th-place finish in a competitive field.

South Central Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Tulane, No. 2 Arkansas

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 LSU

Notes: Tulane leaps over Arkansas in the regional poll this week as the Green Wave placed 14th at Gans Creek in a strong field which contained a plethora of ranked squads. The New Orleans-based harriers averaged 20:37 for 6k and were headlined by the duo of Blezzin Kimutai and Dorcas Naibei, running 20:11 and 20:14 for 42nd and 44th respectively. 

Arkansas falls one spot this week, opting not to race since their opener at Missouri in late August. The Razorbacks are scheduled to compete in Fayetteville at the Chile Pepper Festival this upcoming weekend. 

Southeast Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 NC State, No. 2 Virginia

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 North Carolina, No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 5 South Carolina

Notes: Top-ranked NC State opened their season at the adidas XC Challenge, where they placed first overall in a field that contained regional rivals North Carolina and South Carolina. The Wolfpack went 1-2-3 with a top-five average of 16:38 over the 5k course in Cary, NC. Reigning Southeast Region champion and All-American Grace Hartman has yet to race this season, but may debut this coming weekend as the Wolfpack split time between Chicago and Greenville NC. 

Virginia holds steady in second as they are coming off a fourth-place finish at Gans Creek where they averaged 20:09. Tatum David and Gillian Bushee were the standouts for the Cavaliers as they placed 15th and 24th, both dipping under 20 minutes for 6k. Virginia’s fourth place finish put them above Utah, Oregon, Iowa State, and regional rival Wake Forest. 

West Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Stanford

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Washington, No. 4 Washington State, No. 5 Gonzaga

Notes: Oregon remains at the top of the west after a sixth-place finish at Gans Creek. The Ducks, missing All-American Silan Ayyildiz and Mia Barnett, averaged 20:08, falling just two points shy of fifth place. Julie Cherubet was active for Oregon and blazed 19:20 over 6k enroute to a fifth overall finish. 

Stanford also competed at Gans Creek, but were missing from the Gold race which contained many of the nation’s top squads as they previewed the national championship course. The Cardinal, however, did easily take the Black race where it averaged 20:51, scoring 53 points. The result is even more impressive when factoring in that they held out Amy Bunnage, Sophia Kennedy, and Mena Scatchard, all of whom have an All-American honor to their name.

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Presenting sponsor of USTFCCCA Polls and Rankings

NCAA Division I
Women's Cross Country
USTFCCCA Regional Coaches' Rankings

2025 Week #2 - September 29th

About this Product
The USTFCCCA Regional Cross Country Coaches’ 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.

Great Lakes Region -- Women

RANK TEAM
CONFERENCE
CHANGE
1notre-dameNOTRE DAME
ACC
 ◀▶
(LW: 1)
2michigan-stateMICHIGAN STATE
Big Ten
 ◀▶
(LW: 2)
3wisconsinWISCONSIN
Big Ten
 ◀▶
(LW: 3)
4ohioOHIO
Mid-American
 ◀▶
(LW: 4)
5michiganMICHIGAN
Big Ten
 ◀▶
(LW: 5)
6ohio-stateOHIO STATE
Big Ten
 ◀▶
(LW: 6)
7toledoTOLEDO
Mid-American
 ◀▶
(LW: 7)
8cincinnatiCINCINNATI
Big 12
 ◀▶
(LW: 8)
9indianaINDIANA
Big Ten
 ▲1
(LW: 10)
10bowling-greenBOWLING GREEN
Mid-American
 ▲1
(LW: 11)
11butlerBUTLER
Big East
 ▲1
(LW: 12)
12western-michiganWESTERN MICHIGAN
Mid-American
 ▲1
(LW: 13)
13miami-ohioMIAMI (OHIO)
Mid-American
 ▲2
(LW: 15)
14indiana-stateINDIANA STATE
Missouri Valley
 ▼5
(LW: 9)
15central-michiganCENTRAL MICHIGAN
Mid-American
 ▼1
(LW: 14)

Mid-Atlantic Region -- Women

RANK TEAM
CONFERENCE
CHANGE
1penn-statePENN STATE
Big Ten
 ◀▶
(LW: 1)
2west-virginiaWEST VIRGINIA
Big 12
 ◀▶
(LW: 2)
3georgetownGEORGETOWN
Big East
 ◀▶
(LW: 3)
4princetonPRINCETON
Ivy League
 ▲1
(LW: 5)
5villanovaVILLANOVA
Big East
 ▲1
(LW: 6)
6pennPENN
Ivy League
 ▼2
(LW: 4)
7pittsburghPITTSBURGH
ACC
 ◀▶
(LW: 7)
8marylandMARYLAND
Big Ten
 ◀▶
(LW: 8)
9navyNAVY
Patriot
 NR
10bucknellBUCKNELL
Patriot
 ▼1
(LW: 9)
11lehighLEHIGH
Patriot
 ▼1
(LW: 10)
12monmouthMONMOUTH
CAA
 ▼1
(LW: 11)
13towsonTOWSON
CAA
 NR
14delawareDELAWARE
Conference USA
 ▼1
(LW: 13)
15rutgersRUTGERS
Big Ten
 ▼3
(LW: 12)

Midwest Region -- Women

RANK TEAM
CONFERENCE
CHANGE
1oklahoma-stateOKLAHOMA STATE
Big 12
 ◀▶
(LW: 1)
2iowa-stateIOWA STATE
Big 12
 ▲1
(LW: 3)
3northwesternNORTHWESTERN
Big Ten
 ▼1
(LW: 2)
4missouriMISSOURI
SEC
 ▲1
(LW: 5)
5minnesotaMINNESOTA
Big Ten
 ▼1
(LW: 4)
6nebraskaNEBRASKA
Big Ten
 ▲4
(LW: 10)
7bradleyBRADLEY
Missouri Valley
 ◀▶
(LW: 7)
8oklahomaOKLAHOMA
SEC
 ▼2
(LW: 6)
9north-dakotaNORTH DAKOTA
Summit League
 ▼1
(LW: 8)
10tulsaTULSA
American
 ▲2
(LW: 12)
11kansas-stateKANSAS STATE
Big 12
 ◀▶
(LW: 11)
12iowaIOWA
Big Ten
 NR
13south-dakota-stateSOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Summit League
 ▼4
(LW: 9)
14north-dakota-stateNORTH DAKOTA STATE
Summit League
 ▲1
(LW: 15)
15illinoisILLINOIS
Big Ten
 ▼2
(LW: 13)

Mountain Region -- Women

RANK TEAM
CONFERENCE
CHANGE
1byuBYU
Big 12
 ◀▶
(LW: 1)
2new-mexicoNEW MEXICO
Mountain West
 ◀▶
(LW: 2)
3northern-arizonaNORTHERN ARIZONA
Big Sky
 ◀▶
(LW: 3)
4coloradoCOLORADO
Big 12
 ▲1
(LW: 5)
5utahUTAH
Big 12
 ▼1
(LW: 4)
6utah-stateUTAH STATE
Mountain West
 ▲1
(LW: 7)
7colorado-stateCOLORADO STATE
Mountain West
 ▲1
(LW: 8)
8air-forceAIR FORCE
Mountain West
 ▲1
(LW: 9)
9utah-valleyUTAH VALLEY
WAC
 ▼3
(LW: 6)
10wyomingWYOMING
Mountain West
 ▲1
(LW: 11)
11weber-stateWEBER STATE
Big Sky
 ▲1
(LW: 12)
12montana-stateMONTANA STATE
Big Sky
 ▼2
(LW: 10)
13idaho-stateIDAHO STATE
Big Sky
 ◀▶
(LW: 13)
14new-mexico-stateNEW MEXICO STATE
Conference USA
 ▲1
(LW: 15)
15northern-coloradoNORTHERN COLORADO
Big Sky
 ▼1
(LW: 14)

Northeast Region -- Women

RANK TEAM
CONFERENCE
CHANGE
1providencePROVIDENCE
Big East
 ◀▶
(LW: 1)
2boston-collegeBOSTON COLLEGE
ACC
 ◀▶
(LW: 2)
3syracuseSYRACUSE
ACC
 ▲1
(LW: 4)
4harvardHARVARD
Ivy League
 ▼1
(LW: 3)
5connecticutCONNECTICUT
Big East
 ◀▶
(LW: 5)
6columbiaCOLUMBIA
Ivy League
 ◀▶
(LW: 6)
7yaleYALE
Ivy League
 ◀▶
(LW: 7)
8boston-universityBOSTON UNIVERSITY
Patriot
 ◀▶
(LW: 8)
9cornellCORNELL
Ivy League
 ◀▶
(LW: 9)
10quinnipiacQUINNIPIAC
Metro Atlantic
 ◀▶
(LW: 10)
11umassUMASS
Mid-American
 NR
12brownBROWN
Ivy League
 ▲2
(LW: 14)
13new-hampshireNEW HAMPSHIRE
America East
 NR
14dartmouthDARTMOUTH
Ivy League
 ▼2
(LW: 12)
15maineMAINE
America East
 ▼4
(LW: 11)

South Region -- Women

RANK TEAM
CONFERENCE
CHANGE
1floridaFLORIDA
SEC
 ▲1
(LW: 2)
2alabamaALABAMA
SEC
 ▼1
(LW: 1)
3tennesseeTENNESSEE
SEC
 ▲2
(LW: 5)
4mississippi-stateMISSISSIPPI STATE
SEC
 ▲2
(LW: 6)
5ole-missOLE MISS
SEC
 ▲2
(LW: 7)
6lipscombLIPSCOMB
ASUN
 ▼3
(LW: 3)
7florida-stateFLORIDA STATE
ACC
 ▼3
(LW: 4)
8vanderbiltVANDERBILT
SEC
 ▲3
(LW: 11)
9georgiaGEORGIA
SEC
 NR
10georgia-techGEORGIA TECH
ACC
 ▼2
(LW: 8)
11kennesaw-stateKENNESAW STATE
Conference USA
 ▼2
(LW: 9)
12auburnAUBURN
SEC
 ▼2
(LW: 10)
13mercerMERCER
SoCon
 ▼1
(LW: 12)
14ucfUCF
Big 12
 ▼1
(LW: 13)
15jacksonville-stateJACKSONVILLE STATE
Conference USA
 ▼1
(LW: 14)

South Central Region -- Women

RANK TEAM
CONFERENCE
CHANGE
1tulaneTULANE
American
 ▲1
(LW: 2)
2arkansasARKANSAS
SEC
 ▼1
(LW: 1)
3texas-amTEXAS A&M
SEC
 ◀▶
(LW: 3)
4texasTEXAS
SEC
 ◀▶
(LW: 4)
5lsuLSU
SEC
 ◀▶
(LW: 5)
6smuSMU
ACC
 ◀▶
(LW: 6)
7riceRICE
American
 ◀▶
(LW: 7)
8texas-am-corpus-christiTEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI
Southland
 ◀▶
(LW: 8)
9central-arkansasCENTRAL ARKANSAS
ASUN
 ◀▶
(LW: 9)
10stephen-f-austinSTEPHEN F. AUSTIN
Southland
 ◀▶
(LW: 10)
11houstonHOUSTON
Big 12
 ◀▶
(LW: 11)
12louisianaLOUISIANA
Sun Belt
 ◀▶
(LW: 12)
13arkansas-stateARKANSAS STATE
Sun Belt
 ◀▶
(LW: 13)
14ut-arlingtonUT ARLINGTON
WAC
 ◀▶
(LW: 14)
15tcuTCU
Big 12
 ◀▶
(LW: 15)

Southeast Region -- Women

RANK TEAM
CONFERENCE
CHANGE
1nc-stateNC STATE
ACC
 ◀▶
(LW: 1)
2virginiaVIRGINIA
ACC
 ◀▶
(LW: 2)
3north-carolinaNORTH CAROLINA
ACC
 ◀▶
(LW: 3)
4wake-forestWAKE FOREST
ACC
 ◀▶
(LW: 4)
5south-carolinaSOUTH CAROLINA
SEC
 ◀▶
(LW: 5)
6dukeDUKE
ACC
 ▲2
(LW: 8)
7clemsonCLEMSON
ACC
 ▼1
(LW: 6)
8louisvilleLOUISVILLE
ACC
 ▼1
(LW: 7)
9libertyLIBERTY
Conference USA
 ▲4
(LW: 13)
10furmanFURMAN
SoCon
 ▲2
(LW: 12)
11kentuckyKENTUCKY
SEC
 ▲4
(LW: 15)
12charlotteCHARLOTTE
American
 ▼3
(LW: 9)
13virginia-techVIRGINIA TECH
ACC
 ▼3
(LW: 10)
14elonELON
CAA
 ▼3
(LW: 11)
15william-maryWILLIAM & MARY
CAA
 ▼1
(LW: 14)

West Region -- Women

RANK TEAM
CONFERENCE
CHANGE
1oregonOREGON
Big Ten
 ◀▶
(LW: 1)
2stanfordSTANFORD
ACC
 ◀▶
(LW: 2)
3washingtonWASHINGTON
Big Ten
 ◀▶
(LW: 3)
4washington-stateWASHINGTON STATE
WCC
 ▲1
(LW: 5)
5gonzagaGONZAGA
WCC
 ▼1
(LW: 4)
6boise-stateBOISE STATE
Mountain West
 ◀▶
(LW: 6)
7oregon-stateOREGON STATE
WCC
 ▲3
(LW: 10)
8california-baptistCALIFORNIA BAPTIST
WAC
 ▼1
(LW: 7)
9cal-polyCAL POLY
Big West
 ▼1
(LW: 8)
10san-franciscoSAN FRANCISCO
WCC
 ▼1
(LW: 9)
11uclaUCLA
Big Ten
 ▲1
(LW: 12)
12portlandPORTLAND
WCC
 ▼1
(LW: 11)
13californiaCALIFORNIA
ACC
 ◀▶
(LW: 13)
14uc-san-diegoUC SAN DIEGO
Big West
 ◀▶
(LW: 14)
15uc-irvineUC IRVINE
Big West
 NR


Week-by-Week Ranking

Great Lakes (NCAA DI)
TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2
Notre Dame111
Michigan State322
Wisconsin233
Ohio644
Michigan455
Ohio State766
Toledo577
Cincinnati1288
Indiana9109
Bowling Green111110
Butler101211
Western Michigan1312
Miami (Ohio)131513
Indiana State8914
Central Michigan141415
Purdue15
Mid-Atlantic (NCAA DI)
TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2
Penn State311
West Virginia122
Georgetown233
Princeton554
Villanova465
Penn646
Pittsburgh777
Maryland988
Navy109
Bucknell12910
Lehigh131011
Monmouth151112
Towson13
Delaware1314
Rutgers111215
George Washington14
Marshall15
La Salle8
Saint Joseph's14
Midwest (NCAA DI)
TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2
Oklahoma State111
Iowa State332
Northwestern423
Missouri654
Minnesota245
Nebraska8106
Bradley777
Oklahoma568
North Dakota989
Tulsa101210
Kansas State111111
Iowa12
South Dakota State12913
North Dakota State1514
Illinois131315
Loyola-Chicago1414
Illinois State15
Mountain (NCAA DI)
TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2
BYU111
New Mexico222
Northern Arizona333
Colorado554
Utah445
Utah State676
Colorado State887
Air Force998
Utah Valley769
Wyoming111110
Weber State121211
Montana State101012
Idaho State131313
New Mexico State151514
Northern Colorado141415
Northeast (NCAA DI)
TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2
Providence111
Boston College222
Syracuse443
Harvard334
Connecticut555
Columbia666
Yale1077
Boston University788
Cornell1299
Quinnipiac131010
UMass11
Brown111412
New Hampshire13
Dartmouth91214
Maine141115
Army West Point813
Northeastern15
Stony Brook15
South (NCAA DI)
TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2
Florida221
Alabama112
Tennessee553
Mississippi State1064
Ole Miss675
Lipscomb336
Florida State447
Vanderbilt9118
Georgia159
Georgia Tech7810
Kennesaw State13911
Auburn81012
Mercer1213
UCF1314
Jacksonville State1415
Miami (Fla.)15
Samford11
Middle Tennessee12
Belmont14
South Central (NCAA DI)
TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2
Tulane221
Arkansas112
Texas A&M433
Texas344
LSU555
SMU666
Rice777
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi888
Central Arkansas999
Stephen F. Austin101010
Houston121111
Louisiana131212
Arkansas State141313
UT Arlington151414
TCU1515
Baylor11
Southeast (NCAA DI)
TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2
NC State111
Virginia322
North Carolina233
Wake Forest444
South Carolina555
Duke986
Clemson667
Louisville1078
Liberty8139
Furman71210
Kentucky141511
Charlotte912
Virginia Tech111013
Elon131114
William & Mary151415
High Point12
West (NCAA DI)
TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2
Oregon111
Stanford222
Washington333
Washington State554
Gonzaga445
Boise State666
Oregon State11107
California Baptist1278
Cal Poly889
San Francisco10910
UCLA71211
Portland91112
California131313
UC San Diego141414
UC Irvine15
Sacramento State15
UC Riverside15

USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Cross Country

2025 Rankings & Polls Calendar
Weeks Regional RankingsNational Coaches' Poll KEY DATES
PreseasonMon 8/25
MEN | WOMEN
Tue 8/26
MEN | WOMEN
Week 1Mon 9/15
MEN | WOMEN
Tue 9/16
MEN | WOMEN
Week 2Mon 9/29
MEN | WOMEN
Tue 9/30
MEN | WOMEN
Week 3Mon 10/6
Tue 10/7
Week 4Mon 10/20
Tue 10/21
Week 5Mon 11/3
Tue 11/4
Week 6Mon 11/17
Tue 11/18
FINAL Results
(official final ranking)
Sat 11/22
Sun 11/23