2025 NCAA DI Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 6

NEW ORLEANS – Regional Championships Weekend sees massive changes in the rankings. 

It also gives us a great idea of what to expect at the upcoming 2025 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 22.

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.

There is a new top team in town as NC State dethrones BYU for the first time this season. BYU had reigned atop the National Coaches’ Poll for six consecutive weeks, including the preseason. The Wolfpack topped a difficult Southeast Region, booking their ticket to Columbia, Missouri. Hannah Gapes was their top finisher, running 19:08 for a second-place finish. The Wolfpack added three top-ten finishers in Angelina Napoleon (sixth) and Bethany Michalak (eighth), proving they have multiple front-runners. Despite this, NC State’s 1-5 spread was 1:03, which they will hope to close in order to capture their fourth national championship, which would be their first since 2023. 

BYU finds itself at the national number two spot for the first time since Week 3 of 2024. The Cougars were just two points short of a Mountain Region title on Friday as New Mexico triumphed. Freshman Jane Hedengren continues to look like the favorite to win the NCAA individual title as she claimed another massive victory – this time over Pamela Kosgei, last year’s national runner-up. Hedengren ran 19:06, more than 40 seconds ahead of Kosgei, as she continues her undefeated campaign this season. The Cougars put three in the top ten with Riley Chamberlain and Taylor Rohatinsky placing third and ninth respectively. With a 2-5 spread of 59 seconds, it appears that Saturday’s matchup could come down to BYU and NC State’s fourth and fifth runners. 

No. 3 Florida holds steady this week as they come off a South Region title. The Gators were led by the trio of Hilda Olemomoi, Judy Chepkoech, and Tia Wilson who went 4-5-6. In addition, Claire Stegall and Bethan Morley tacked on top-twenty-five finishes to give Florida a 1-5 spread of just 46 seconds, the best of the top-three teams. If the Gators have a good day, do not be surprised to see them make a push for their first team title in program history. 

No. 4 New Mexico moves up four spots this week as they defeated reigning national champions and longtime rival BYU at the Mountain Region Championships. The Lobos were led by Kosgei, who ran 19:48 for second place overall. Judy Rono and Marion Jepngetich added two top-ten finishes as they put up 45 team points. The Lobos’ 57 second spread is comparable to the rest of the favorites, and they have a proven low-stick in Kosgei who will be in the running to claim the individual title. New Mexico is heating up at the right time, and they will seek their third team title and first since 2017. 

No. 5 Notre Dame could be an unexpected contender to the national throne as the Fighting Irish put up a dominant performance at the Great Lakes Regional. Amaya Aramini and Mary Bonner Dalton went 1-2, running 19:38 and 19:44 respectively. In addition, Siona Chisholm, Sophie Novak, and Gretchen Farley all placed in the top ten, to power a 22-point team title and 73-point victory over No. 24 Wisconsin. The Irish put up a 32-second 1-5 spread, proving they are one of the nation’s deepest teams. With their combination of depth and front-running, Notre Dame will look to find their best finish since 2002, where they placed third. 

If you’re looking for a dark horse contender, consider No. 9 Stanford. The Cardinal have hovered around 11-14th place in the national poll this season, often being overshadowed by No. 6 Oregon, their West region rival. However, the return of Amy Bunnage, racing for the first time since March, helped fuel a nine-point Stanford victory with her fourth-place finish. Sophia Kennedy and Mena Scatchard added fifth and tenth-place finishes. The Cardinal have a 1:06 1-5 spread, but showcase two elite runners in Bunnage and Kennedy who will aim to be at the front in Missouri. 

No. 11 Northwestern continues to be a team to watch. The Wildcats secured an automatic-qualifying spot at the Midwest Regional on Friday, behind No. 8 Oklahoma State. Northwestern might be the nation’s most unique team as they showcase elite depth that is perhaps the best in the entire country. The Wildcats had a 1-5 spread of just eight seconds! Despite having zero top-ten finishers, they went 15-16-17-18-20 to earn an 86-point team score. In comparison, No. 12 Iowa State placed three in the top-ten, but fell 22 points short of Northwestern. Saturday will be just the third appearance in program history, and the Wildcats will be seeking their first top-ten finish and more. 

No. 20 Alabama are the polar opposite of Northwestern. The Crimson Tide fell five spots in this week’s poll as they come off a third-place finish at the South Region Championships. Despite this, Alabama went 1-2-3, led by reigning national champion Doris Lemngole who blazed through the Huntsville course in 18:43. Caren Kiplagat and Cynthia Jemutai were behind her, running 18:49 and 19:10 respectively. The Crimson Tide’s fourth and fifth runners placed 61st and 63rd as Alabama netted a 125-point team score with their 2:05 1-5 spread. Luckily, they received an at-large bid to the big dance. Can the Crimson Tide find some magic and shock the nation at Gans Creek?

Get ready for the 2025 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships, which will take place this Saturday, November 22, at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri.