2025 NCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 7
NEW ORLEANS – Regional Championships Weekend transformed the National Coaches’ Poll ahead of the upcoming NCAA Championships, which are less than two weeks away.
Here is the final edition of the NCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll for this season, 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
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
2
Adams State
Adams State
3
Colo. School of Mines
Colo. School of Mines
4
UC-Colorado Springs
UC-Colorado Springs
5
Western Colorado
Western Colorado
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
A dynamic weekend of competition saw a new No. 1 rise to the top of the National Coaches’ Poll. Grand Valley State heads into the NCAA Championships as the presumptive favorite as it garnered seven of eight possible first-place votes. The Lakers won its 24th Midwest Regional title and imposed their will with 25 points scored as they placed their entire scoring lineup in the top nine. Lauren Kiley successfully defended her individual region title and now looks to do the same with her individual national title come Saturday, November 22.
The star-laden South Regional Championships delivered once again. Adams State clinched the regional title by 32 points over No. 3 UC Colorado Springs, 42-74, and jumped four spots from No. 6 to No. 2 for its efforts. The defending national champions had a powerful 1-2 punch, as Tristian Spence claimed the individual title and teammate Ava O’Connor finished runner-up.
Adams State was one of seven teams from the South Central Region to earn bids to the NCAA Championships: runner-up UC-Colorado Springs (now No. 4 in the rankings) and third-place Colo. School of Mines (now No. 3 in the rankings) secured the two other automatic berths, while No. 5 Western Colorado, No. 6 West Texas A&M, No. 17 CSU Pueblo, and No. 20 Colorado Mesa will all compete in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Take a closer look at the above and you’ll see that five of the top-six spots in the National Coaches’ Poll are comprised by South Central teams.
No. 8 Wingate successfully defended its Southeast Regional title for the fourth year in a row as its five best runners placed in the top ten. The Bulldogs flourished with a 1-2-3 punch courtesy of junior Evie Brooks (third), sophomore Imane Jourji (fourth), and an outstanding freshman performance by Karlijn Mesman (fifth). Catawba finished a close runner-up to Wingate thanks to individual champion Madison Clay’s low stick, while Flagler took third and nabbed the region’s final automatic qualifying spot.
Chico State held steady at ninth after winning the team title at the West Regional Championships by a commanding 46 points. The Wildcats pace five teams from the West Region into the NCAA Championships: No. 15 Cal Poly Pomona, which finished runner-up to Chico State; No. 18 Western Washington, which was the third automatic qualifier; No. 19 Biola (Calif.) and No. 22 Stanislaus State were at-large selections.
No. 11 Winona State, up three spots from the previous National Coaches’ Poll, headlines the Central Region, which sent four teams through the NCAA Championships. No. 13 Pittsburg State, up four spots from the previous week, put three runners in the top six and was the only program with multiple athletes in the top ten. No. 16 Nebraska-Kearney, also up three spots, and No. 24 Minnesota State round out the region’s entrants in less than two weeks.
Regional titles also went to RV Davis and Elkins (Atlantic), Southern Connecticut State (East), and No. 26 Palm Beach Atlantic (South). Notably, the Sailfish punched their national ticket with a historic first ever South Regional Championship title in an upset over No. 21 Tampa (Fla.) and No. 29 Lee (Tenn.).
If you can’t tell by now, the 2025 NCAA DII Cross Country Championships are set for Saturday, November 22, at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course in Kenosha, Wisconsin. You’ll be able to watch all of the action via live stream on NCAA.com.
