2025 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 5
NEW ORLEANS – Conference Championships Weekend shook up the rankings.
Here is the newest edition of the NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The poll is conducted by taking votes from a group of 11 coaches, including one coach from each of Division I’s nine regions and two from the NCAA Cross Country Executive Committee.
NCAA Division I — Women's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
BYU
BYU
2
NC State
NC State
3
Florida
Florida
4
Oregon
Oregon
5
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
No. 1 BYU continues to be the nation’s top-ranked team for the sixth consecutive week. The Cougars claimed the team title at the Big 12 Championships, their third straight, defeating three top-ten squads in the process. BYU’s 38-point team score and 19:27 average for 6k was too much for No. 6 Iowa State, No. 7 West Virginia, No. 9 Oklahoma State, No. 17 Colorado, and No. 22 Utah. Jane Hedengren capped off her second ever collegiate race with yet another course record and individual title. The freshman standout blazed through Kansas’ historic Rim Rock Farm in 18:29 – 44 seconds ahead of second place. The Cougars showcased elite depth as well, running three in the top ten, five in the top fifteen, and seven in the top twenty.
However, the sharp-eyed viewer will notice that BYU is no longer the unanimous number one team in the nation. No. 2 NC State has claimed three (of 11 total) first place votes, indicating that it might be legitimate challengers to the reigning national champion Cougars. The Wolfpack had a similar performance, placing first at the ACC Championships. NC State topped No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 13 North Carolina, No. 14 Stanford, No. 16 Virginia, and No. 29 Duke along with Boston College and Syracuse teams that are currently receiving votes. In an incredibly deep ACC field, the Wolfpack put five in the top ten to score 28 points. Sophomore Angelina Napoleon claimed the individual title, crossing the line in a course-record 19:13 as she led her team to a 19:27 average – the same average as BYU this past weekend.
No. 3 Florida holds steady in the National Coaches’ Poll as they come off a first-place finish at the SEC Championships. The Gators won their first conference championship since 2023, led by Judy Chepkoech’s second-place finish where she ran 19:47, just 15 seconds behind reigning national champion Doris Lemngole of Alabama. Behind her the Gators show impressive depth as they placed four in the top ten and five in the top 20. Florida’s 20:12 average and 45-point team gave them a 72-point victory over No. 15 Alabama in addition to No. 20 South Carolina, No. 26 LSU, No. 27 Missouri, as well as Texas A&M and Tennessee squads that are receiving votes.
No. 4 Oregon rounds out the Power-4 conference champions. The Ducks took home the Big Ten conference title in historic fashion as they posted an 18-point team score, the lowest in conference history. Diana Cherotich led the charge, claiming gold with a time of 19:31, while Juliet Cherubet, Silan Ayyildiz, and Dalia Frias all went under 20 minutes behind her. Oregon went 1-2-3-5-7, completing their scoring before most teams had one finisher. The Ducks obliterated some of the nation’s best, including No. 10 Penn State, No. 11 Northwestern, No. 18 Washington, No. 23 Michigan State, and No. 25 Wisconsin.
Some teams announced or reannounced themselves to the national stage this weekend. No. 13 North Carolina is one of those teams, reaching as high as 13th in the preseason poll this season. The Tar Heels fell out of the rankings by Week 3, but showed that they are here to challenge for a spot in Columbia, Missouri, with a third-place finish at the ACC Championships. Vera Sjoberg led the way for them, as the Boston University transfer placed sixth overall, running 19:31. Behind her, Brynn Brown went under 20 minutes, crossing the line in 19:55 to claim a 14th-place finish. The Tar Heels had a 1-5 spread of 1:08 and will look to close that gap in order to find an automatic-qualifying spot in a loaded Southeast region that includes in-state rival No. 2 NC State.
No. 15 Alabama entered the season ranked ninth in the nation and reached No. 6 in the nation after week 1 but fell all the way to 25th by Week 4. The Crimson Tide roared back though and rose 10 spots this week, following a runner-up finish at the SEC Championship meet. Doris Lemngole made her season debut and showed why she is the reigning national champion, running 19:32 for the individual title and a 15-second victory. It is not just a one woman show in Tuscaloosa, however, as the Crimson Tide placed three runners in the top four, with Caren Kiplagat and Cynthia Jemutai both running under 20 minutes for third and fourth place finishes respectively. Alabama’s biggest struggle is their depth, however, as they had a massive 1-5 spread of 2:26, ultimately preventing them from knocking off the Gators. Despite this, they still managed to defeat No. 20 South Carolina, No. 26 LSU, and No. 27 Missouri as well as Texas A&M and Tennessee, both receiving votes.
No. 26 LSU enters the national poll for the first in program history, having received votes last week. The Tigers claimed fourth at the SEC Championships, their highest finish since 1999, which has catapulted them to the top of the South Central region. The Baton Rouge harriers are looking to make history as they appear poised to capture their first ever regional title in school history. The duo of Edna Chepkemoi and Yuya Sawada, finished 13th and 14th respectively, running 20:27 and 20:29. The Tigers are hoping that this front running duo will be able to elevate them over No. 30 Tulane, the American Conference champions, and lock in their spot in the national championship.
No. 29 Duke joins North Carolina and LSU as the Blue Devils are new to the poll this week, coming off a sixth-place finish at the ACC Championships.
Mark your calendar for November 14, as that is Regional Championship Friday, where the nation’s top teams will look to claim an auto-qualifier spot for the ensuing NCAA Championships. Teams that are outside of the two-two in their region will then hope to be a part of the 14 additional at-large teams that round the 32-team field. Then, the climactic NCAA DI Cross Country Championships await on Saturday, November 22, in Columbia, Missouri.
