NCAA Division I Women's Championship Preview Set for Saturday

Oct. 9, 2007

NEW ORLEANS - After a quiet weekend, the pace quickens Saturday when 23 of the top 30 teams in Division I women's cross country compete at the Pre-Nationals event in Terre Haute, Ind.

Top-ranked Stanford and second-ranked Colorado are among the teams competing in the traditional mid-October event that gives runners a chance to test the same course used for the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships which will be contested Nov. 19.

Saturday's Pre-Nationals will feature separate "White" and "Blue" races over the 6,000- meter course at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute. Stanford and North Carolina State were the Pre-National team winners last year.

With most teams resting up for this weekend's action, there weren't any significant changes in the Division I women's rankings released today by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Defending NCAA champion Stanford received 10 of 13 first-place votes to rank No. 1 for the fourth straight week. Colorado received the remaining three first-place votes.

Rounding out the top 10 behind Stanford and Colorado in this week's rankings are Oregon, Minnesota, Arkansas, Arizona State, Rice, Princeton, Michigan State and Illinois.

Florida moved up two spots in this week's poll to No. 20. Wisconsin (25) and North Carolina State (26) switched positions from the Oct. 2 poll.

The Pre-Nationals field features such individual standouts as Arianna Lambie of Stanford, Jenny Barringer of Colorado, Lindsay Donaldson of Yale and Diane Nukuri of Iowa.

The only teams in this week's top 30 that aren't scheduled to compete in the Pre-Nationals are Oregon, Arkansas, Duke, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Texas Tech and Penn State.

The voting panel for the Division I women's poll consists of nine elected regional representatives and four at-large USTFCCCA members. The rankings are compiled by Jesse Rosen.

Oregon is ranked first in this week's Division I men's poll.

NCAA Division I women's cross country rankings
Oct. 9, 2007
(first-place votes and total votes)

Team Points Previous

1. Stanford (10) 387 1

2. Colorado (3) 373 2

3. Oregon 361 3

4. Minnesota 349 4

5. Arkansas 330 5

6. Arizona State 328 6

7. Rice 302 7

8. Princeton 296 8

9. Michigan State 289 9

10. Illinois 272 10

11. Florida State 256 11

12. Washington 250 12

13. Michigan 228 13

14. Colorado State 225 14

15. BYU 185 15

16. Boston College 177 16

17. Duke 162 17

18. Providence 145 18

19. Virginia Tech 141 19

20. Florida 132 20

21. West Virginia 130 21

22. Georgetown 111 22

23. Iowa 109 23

24. Texas Tech 90 24

25. Wisconsin 78 25

26. North Carolina State 72 26

27. UC-Santa Barbara 66 27

28. Georgia 64 28

29. Nebraska 41 29

30. Penn State 36 30

Also receiving votes: Virginia 19, Baylor 15, Stony Brook 13, Portland 7, Syracuse 3, Northern Arizona 2, UC Riverside 1.