Courtesy: Sean Brennan, USTFCCCA Communications Intern
September 16, 2025  
NEW ORLEANS – The collegiate cross country season is officially underway!
While many of the country’s top programs have opened their seasons, others are patiently waiting for the right moment to strike. This week’s poll is a reflection of that as there is slight movement near the top with just a few big risers and fallers.
This is Week 1 of the 2025 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
2
Oregon
3
New Mexico
3
NC State
5
Stanford
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
There is no change in the top three as BYU retains the top spot, commanding all 11 first place votes. The Cougars are truly the team to beat as they are coming off winning their sixth national title last fall. BYU opened their season on September 5 with a clean sweep where some of their key returners, Riley Chamberlain (31st at 2024 NCAAs), Taylor Rohatinsky (43rd), and Nelah Roberts (83rd) all kicked off their season. As a team, the Cougars averaged 15:32 for 3 miles in an effort that appeared controlled, with four runners crossing the line at the same time.
No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 NC State have not moved from their position in the preseason poll and neither team has made any noise just yet with the Ducks racing a B team in their opener at Utah Valley while NC State has yet to compete this season. New Mexico and Stanford both move up a spot this week, to third and fifth respectively. Like Oregon, the Lobos and Cardinal both opened their season, but have yet to let their squads show their might at full strength.
The first big riser of the week comes from Alabama who, despite missing ace Doris Lemngole as she competes in Tokyo in the steeplechase, moves up three spots in the poll from No. 9 into a tie for No. 6. Even further, the Crimson Tide sat out most of their top five and only placed sixth at the Southern Showcase. So what is propelling this push towards the upper echelon for Alabama? It is freshman Caren Kiplagat, who stole the show in Huntsville as she took home the win, blazing through 5k in 16:18 – 10 seconds ahead of second place. Her performance earned her M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week honors and is no doubt improving the outlook for this Crimson Tide team.
For those keeping track of the regional representation in the top thirty, the Mountain Region leads the way with five ranked teams, including No. 1 BYU, while the South Central region holds only one ranked squad in No. 21 Arkansas. The list goes Mountain (5), Midwest (4), West (4), South (4), Southeast (3), Mid-Atlantic (3), Great Lakes (3), Midwest (3), Northeast (3), and South Central (1).
This is just the beginning, but every team has a big circle around Saturday, November 22 where they hope to be at Missouri’s Gans Creek Cross Country Course for a chance to compete for the national title.
