2025 NCAA DIII Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Preseason ::: USTFCCCA

NEW ORLEANS – Cross nation is again!

Here is the preseason version of the NCAA DIII Women’s Cross Country Regional Rankings for the 2025 season, as launched on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Regional Rankings are decided subjectively by a single member coach in every respective area. The regional consultant is tasked with weighing returning groups’ energy with present season outcomes (if relevant) in figuring out a rank-order of squad potential. Only USTFCCCA member applications are eligible to obtain a rating. Teams with provisional standing throughout the area could also be ranked.

Regional Championships Saturday is ready for November 15.

East Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 MIT

Next in Line: No. 2 Tufts

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Bates, No. 4 Suffolk (Mass.), No. 5 Bowdoin

Notes: Four-time defending regional champion – and defending nationwide champion – MIT headlines the preseason rankings. The Engineers return six of their top-seven runners from final 12 months’s squad, together with 4 athletes who completed among the many top-15 on the regional meet: Lexi Fernandez (tenth), Kate Sanderson (eleventh), Ava Hartman (twelfth), and Heather Jensen (thirteenth).

Tufts took runner-up honors behind MIT final 12 months and sits second to start the season. The Jumbos, who rank forward of Bates, Suffolk (Mass.) and Bowdoin, welcome again two star athletes in Elizabeth Donahue and Zoe Margolies. Donahue was the person runner-up on the regional meet final 12 months behind Rachel Brennan, whereas Margolies completed eighth as a freshman.

Great Lakes Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Trine

Next in Line: No. 2 Calvin

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 DePauw, No. 4 Ohio Wesleyan, No. 5 John Carroll

Notes: Trine holds a prime regional rating for the primary time in program historical past. The Thunder, who completed third ultimately 12 months’s regional meet, return six of its top-seven runners together with Sidney Swick (eleventh in 2014) and Bailey Puckett (twelfth in 2024).

2024 runner-up Calvin, which welcomes again 5 of its top-seven athletes from final 12 months, sits second, adopted by 2024 champion DePauw at No. 3, Ohio Wesleyan at No. 4 and John Carroll at No. 5.

Metro Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Swarthmore

Next in Line: No. 2 TCNJ

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Rowan, No. 4 Moravian, No. 5 Stockton

Notes: Swarthmore is projected to win its first regional title since NCAA DIII went to a ten-region mannequin in 2021. The Garnet return 5 of their top-seven athletes from its regional squad final 12 months, together with top-11 finishers Olivia Montini (ninth), Ania Wong (tenth), and Elizabeth Page (eleventh).

TCNJ is anticipated to offer Swarthmore a run for the regional title. The Lions, who rank second forward of Rowan, Moravian, and Stockton, did lose 4 of their top-seven athletes from 2024, however introduced in a powerful recruiting class led by Teagan Walker and Malissa Morabito.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Johns Hopkins

Next in Line: No. 2 Carnegie Mellon

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Gettysburg, No. 4 St. Vincent (Pa.), No. 5 Salisbury

Notes: Johns Hopkins has by no means been ranked decrease than No. 1 regionally at any level of the season and has gained 16 consecutive regional titles, so there is no such thing as a cause to take away the juggernaut from its perch. The Blue Jays welcome again a litany of expertise, together with Carter Brotherton who completed twenty fifth on the NCAA Championships as a freshman in 2024.

Carnegie Mellon sits second forward of Gettysburg, St. Vincent (Pa.), and Salisbury, to start the season. The Tartans return six of their seven athletes from their 2024 regional runner-up staff, together with two top-ten finishers in Ananya Devpura (fifth) and Orit Shiang (eighth). Shiang took a giant step through the monitor season and gained the UAA 10,000-meter title this previous spring.

Mideast Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Williams

Next in Line: No. 2 Amherst

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Connecticut College, No. 4 Vassar, No. 5 RPI

Notes: Four-time defending regional champion Williams headlines the preseason rankings. The Ephs return 4 of their top-five runners from 2024, particularly Kate Tuttle. The rising sophomore had a standout freshman marketing campaign on the grass circuit that featured fourth-place efforts at each the NESCAC and Mideast Region Championships after which an eighth-place exhibiting on the NCAA Championships.

Amherst, which ranks forward of Connecticut College, Vassar, and RPI going into the season, returns a number of athletes, together with Flora Biro and Hannah Stephenson. Biro and Stephenson are each sophomores who completed among the many top-20 athletes on the regional championships final 12 months.

Midwest Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 UChicago

Next in Line: No. 2 Washington (Mo.)

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Wartburg, No. 4 Central (Iowa), No. 5 Wheaton (Ill.)

Notes: Defending regional champion UChicago sits atop the preseason rankings in 2025. The Maroons steamrolled the competitors final 12 months, however solely return two of their top-five runners from that squad – Nora Holmes (seventh) and Estelle Snider (eighth). Holmes and Snider hit one other stage on the monitor, as they lowered their 5k PRs to 16:51.12 and 17:06.07, respectively.

Washington (Mo.) sits second within the preseason forward of Wartburg, Central (Iowa) and Wheaton (Ill.). The Bears welcome again simply three of their top-seven runners from final 12 months, however all completed among the many top-20 athletes regionally – Katie Rector (sixteenth), Jillian Heth (seventeenth), and Lucinda Laughlin (twentieth).

Niagara Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 NYU

Next in Line: No. 2 SUNY Geneseo

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Rochester (N.Y.), No. 4 Hamilton, No. 5 Ithaca

Notes: Defending regional champion NYU sits atop the preseason rankings in 2025. The Violets, who beat SUNY Geneseo by simply 4 factors in 2024, return a powerful contingent that features 5 top-ten finishes from that regional squad: Janie Cooper (third), Kate Cochran (fifth), Josephine Dziedzic (seventh), Lucy Gott (eighth), and Daniela Sekhar (ninth).

The Knights, who rank second forward of Rochester (N.Y.), Hamilton, and Ithaca, graduated a number of standouts, particularly Penelope Greene. Depth will have to be SUNY Geneseo’s calling card in 2025 because it doesn’t have a bonafide low stick. Ann Brennan, Ari Reback, and Jill O’Rourke are anticipated to steer the cost for the Knights this season.  

North Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 UW-La Crosse

Next in Line: No. 2 St. Olaf

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Carleton, No. 4 UW-Eau Claire, No. 5 UW-Whitewater

Notes: Defending champion UW-La Crosse headlines the preseason rankings. The Eagles return two of their top-five runners from that squad, together with top-15 finisher Mallory Reiser (eleventh). UW-La Crosse additionally welcomes again a number of athletes who handled both sickness or damage final season and provides Annika Elliott, a switch from NCAA DI Wisconsin.

St. Olaf sits second forward of Carleton, UW-Eau Claire and UW-Whitewater. The Oles completed runner-up regionally final 12 months and return three of their top-five finishers, particularly fourth-place particular person Lauren Walda.     

South Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Washington and Lee

Next in Line: No. 2 Emory

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Lynchburg, No. 4 Berry, No. 5 Shenandoah

Notes: Defending regional champion Washington and Lee tops the preseason rankings. The Generals return 4 of their top-seven runners from that squad, particularly particular person champion Olivia Warr and seventh-place finisher Sophia Breschi. Washington and Lee additionally landed three freshmen who personal 3200-meter PRs of 11:20 or quicker.

2024 regional runner-up Emory sits second to start the season forward of Lynchburg, Berry, and Shenandoah. The Eagles welcome again 4 of their top-seven runners from final 12 months, together with All-American Madison Tiaffay. Like Washington and Lee, Emory introduced in a number of prep athletes with 3200-meter PRs of 11:15 or quicker led by Ella Werkman (5:04/10:48).

West Region

Projected AQ: No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

Next in Line: No. 2 UC Santa Cruz

Also within the Hunt: No. 3 Colorado College, No. 4 George Fox, No. 5 Pomona-Pitzer

Notes: Claremont-Mudd-Scripps finds itself in a well-known spot to start the season – No 1. This is the fifth 12 months in a row that the Athenas have topped the West Region. Look for depth to be their calling card once more, as they welcome again 2023 All-American Elle Marsyla and Sara Wexler to an already stacked roster.

UC Santa Cruz is in unfamiliar territory because it has by no means been ranked increased than third in program historical past. The second-ranked Banana Slugs are projected forward of 2024 Cinderella story Colorado College at No. 3, George Fox at No. 4 and Pomona-Pitzer at No. 5.