BYU has moved to the top of the NCAA Division I women's cross country coaches' poll, replacing NC State after a narrow win at the Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Cougars beat the previously top-ranked Wolfpack 84-88 on the course that will host the NCAA Championships, and the result carried through to the Week 5 poll released on 20 October. BYU polled 330 points with 11 first-place votes, ahead of NC State on 316, West Virginia on 309, Florida on 293 and Northern Arizona on 282.
The result was more notable for who was missing. BYU raced without Jane Hedengren, one of the country's most prolific record-setters over the past year, and still placed its entire scoring lineup in the top 30, led by Taylor Rohatnisky in ninth. NC State was also short-handed, without Sadie Englehardt and Grace Hartman. The Wolfpack led 22-41 through three runners, but a 23-point swing over their fourth and fifth scorers gave BYU the victory. LetsRun noted it was the third time in the past four years that the No. 2 team beat the No. 1 team in the fixture.
The individual race belonged to Hannah Gapes, who ran a course-record 18:57.6 and was named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week. Clemson finished fourth as a team, led by Silvia Jalego in fourth, Nancy Cherop in 11th and Judy Kosgei in 16th, and the Tigers rose nine places in the poll from No. 23 to No. 14, the biggest jump of the week. On the men's side, Syracuse won the Pre-National Invitational, while New Mexico remains the favourite in the men's rankings.
Elsewhere, Alabama beat No. 11 South Carolina 17-42 at the Crimson Classic, with Caren Kiplagat winning in 18:31.7 and the Crimson Tide taking five of the top seven places. Virginia Tech entered the poll at No. 20, its first appearance since 2019, after beating Virginia at the Panorama Farms Invitational. Boston College dropped out of the rankings at No. 29. The top ten is completed by New Mexico, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Alabama and Colorado.
The season now turns to conference championships, which begin in about two weeks, before the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships on Saturday, 21 November at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute. Because teams have now seen the championship course, and BYU has won on it without its biggest name, the picture heading into November is more open than the preseason polls suggested, with the return of absentees likely to decide the title.