2025 NCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 6
NEW ORLEANS – A highly competitive Conference Championship Weekend left its mark on the national landscape.
Here is the newest edition of the NCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, as released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). All USTFCCCA polls and rankings are presented by AthleticNET.
NCAA Division II — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
Colo. School of Mines
Colo. School of Mines
2
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
3
UC-Colorado Springs
UC-Colorado Springs
4
West Texas A&M
West Texas A&M
5
Cedarville
Cedarville
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
No. 1 Colo. School of Mines (five FPV) were crowned the RMAC champions for the first time in program history and turned in a performance worthy of their top billing. M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week Grace Strongman raced to a course record of 20:06.7 to claim individual gold for the Orediggers, while four teammates followed in the top ten. That gave Colo. School of Mines 28 points, 40 fewer than runner-up UC-Colorado Springs.
Speaking of the Mountain Lions, they jumped five spots after their breakthrough effort. UCCS was led by a strong sixth-place finish by freshman Elizabeth McQuitty. She was supported by Kseniya Nikanorov’s tenth place finish, as well as Maddie Ruszkiewicz in 15th place. That all added up to upsets of former No. 3 Adams State and former No. 7 Western Colorado.
Grand Valley State University (three FPV) remains nationally ranked second after sailing to the GLIAC team title with a perfect score, and average time of 20:37. The Lakers showcased their depth with pack running that saw its sixth runner placing sixth, and its seventh runner in ninth. Last year’s NCAA individual champion Lauren Kiley secured the conference victory in 20:18.2. Notably, Kiley was supported by strong runs from upperclassmen, and an incredible race from freshman Natalie Mello, who placed fifth in her first conference meet. Northern Michigan finished runner-up to GVSU and improved three spots in the rankings from No. 15 to No. 12.
No. 4 West Texas A&M won the Lone Star Conference team title with 37 points, and swept the top four places individually. Sarah Koomson was the individual champion with a time of 21:04.6, narrowly edging out Buffalo teammate Naomi Addo by 0.2 seconds for the honors. WTAMU fell one spot in the National Coaches’ Poll to correspond with UCCS’ improvement and needs to continue to shore up its depth in the postseason. Fellow top-five program No. 5 Cedarville maintained its spot after capturing the GMAC title with 27 points, placing five of its runners in the top eight, and recording an average time of 21:28. The Yellow Jackets held a strong low-stick in Emily Walsh who claimed a third place finish.
No. 7 Wingate rested a few of its top athletes at the SAC Championships, but still proved dominant, winning its ninth conference title. Abigail Bester rallied against the challenging hills and 600 feet of elevation gain to emerge as the individual SAC champion for the Bulldogs.
At the CCAA Championships, No. 9 Chico State was crowned team champion over runner-up (and now No. 10) Stanislaus State, 25-39. Iresh Molina won individual gold for the Wildcats in 21:32.7, while Annie Wild took runner-up honors for the Warriors.
Drama befell the MIAA Championships, where No. 17 Pittsburg State and No. 18 Rogers State were separated by just one point. Ultimately, the Gorillas emerged victorious, 55-56. Pittsburg State won its fourth consecutive MIAA title thanks to its strong 1-2-3 punch with three runners in the top six. The Hillcats experienced the greatest leap in the National Coaches’ Poll this week following that performance, going from No. 30 to No. 18.
At the NSIC Championships, No. 14 Winona State defeated No. 25 Minnesota State convincingly, 28-57. Sophia Taarud won top individual honors for the Warriors and four teammates followed in the top ten. The Mavericks packed their entire scoring lineup in the top 20 and saw a two-position rise in the rankings.
Five teams moved up one spot after Conference Championships Weekend: No. 16 Catawba, No. 17 Pittsburg State, No. 20 Western Washington, No. 24 Mississippi College, and No. 27 Alaska Anchorage. Five teams received votes this week with Saginaw Valley State, and Seattle Pacific gaining national recognition for the first time.
Looking closer at the National Coaches’ Poll reveals the RMAC is still leading all conferences with the greatest number of National Coaches Poll ranked teams (seven), closely followed by the MIAA conference with five teams.
Just one stop remains until the 2025 NCAA DII Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 22, in Parkside, Wisconsin: Regional Championships Saturday, which is set for November 8.
