.png)
TSR's 2025 NAIA XC Top 25 Team Rankings (Women): First Edition
- Miguel Zacarias
- Sep 15, 2025
- 8 min read
Written by Miguel Zacarias, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin
NOTE: Earlier this summer, The Stride Report reached out to nearly every team that was considered for a possible ranking this summer. While we did receive numerous responses and great clarity, we did not get a 100% response rate. On certain occasions, we are referencing TFFRS in order to talk about returners and athletes who are out of eligibility.
25. SCAD Atlanta Bees
The SCAD Atlanta women take a heavier hit than most teams, losing two major runners, including All-American Katie Clark who would have kept this team afloat. For a group that is already on the brink of being pushed aside, they’re limited depth is worrisome despite a top-20 national meet finish last year. Avery Raymond could evolve into an All-American this fall, but the team's eight-woman roster leaves the Bees with essentially zero room for error.
24. Carroll (MT) Fighting Saints
Though they might fly under the radar this season, Carroll is coming into this fall with a mixed bag of veterans and newcomers, each of whom hold the potential to be key contributors for this team. Audrey vanWestrienen is a major returner for the Fighting Saints, with a trio of impressive freshmen right behind her. There is definitely a lack of experience coming from this squad which can create some concerns, but they are looking like an underdog that could very well bring a lineup into this year’s NAIA XC Championships.
23. Oklahoma City Stars
Erika Pena is coming back as the leader of this team, having finished in the top-75 at the 2024 national meet. With a team half-filled with returners and the other half by newcomers, the youth-based upside for this team could lead to plenty of natural growth in the coming months.
22. St. Francis (IL) Fighting Saints
After competing well enough to break into the top-20 at the national meet last fall, the Fighting Saints might have a bit more trouble this time around. They lose a couple seniors and have Riley Mach redshirting this season. For a team that lacks depth and is now experience-deficient, the Fighting Saints are gonna have to rely heavily on their young team to pull through in the absence of last season’s key players.
21. Olivet Nazarene (IL) Tigers
A top-25 showing at the 2024 national meet was not bad at all for the Tigers, but they come into 2025 with a lot more firepower. If Heidi Heldt can run alongside Hannah Haag, effectively replacing Aleigha Garrison, then she will be the key to this team's success. They have a fair amount of experience, but with just as many newcomers, we are excited to see how much of a driving force they will be when the time comes.
20. Montana Tech Orediggers
The Orediggers are looking great right now with a team full of returners. While it's still up in the air where they might land, it isn’t far fetched to think that they will reside deeper into the top-20 portion of our rankings as the season goes on. Key returners such as Alyssa Jany and Kamryn Comba, paired with new additions trailing behind them, should keep this team quietly competitive over the next few months.
19. Southern Oregon Raiders
The Raiders are banking on a postseason peak this season with top returner Alyssa Johnson being the key to their success. They are also putting a lot of stock into their incoming trio of transfer Sophia Stubblefield as well as freshmen Alaina Cassidy and Emily Picard. They are a fairly new team, but if Stubblefield can find form, and the duo of Cassidy and Picard peak when the time is right, then Southern Oregon is on track to replicate their 16th place team finish from 2024.
18. Eastern Oregon Mountaineers
Eastern Oregon is on a major come-up with a nearly-full veteran squad that saw four scorers make major jumps in their times on the track. New arrival Taylor Redick may even become a scorer as the season progresses. With extensive depth, a returning All-American low-stick in Sophia Noriega and interchangeable lineup pieces up to their 10th runner, the Mountaineers have one of the highest floors of any team in this section of our rankings.
17. Aquinas Saints
Another team with tons of upside is the Aquinas women who return nearly all of their major players and have added plenty of depth as well. Madison Rempalski, Amber Koole, Lauren Wooer, Ella Koons and Cadence Schultz are all set to return from the same team that led the Saints into the top-20 at last year’s NAIA XC Championships. If any of the newcomers find themselves becoming a scorer for the Saints, then there is reason to believe that this team comes back even stronger than last year.
16. Lewis-Clark State Warriors
There is a fair mix of veteran material and rookie runners on this squad with the most impactful lead talents set to return. Not only that, but the Warriors bring in two freshmen, Eva Lundgren and Kailee Lerew, who are expected to make a major impact for this program. That's especially true for the latter who had a very solid performance in her first race of the season.
15. Montreat Cavaliers
We'll admit, Montreat needs their low-stick superstar, Heather Murphy, to execute each race without a single hitch to guarantee this team some success. Their next two runners, the junior duo of Carlyn Bobo and Macy Parks, are seemingly put into the same position. There is a very thin margin for error when it comes to the Cavaliers, but their veterans should provide a strong enough base to be a top-15 team in the NAIA this fall.
14. Cornerstone Golden Eagles
The Golden Eagles are looking in great shape, returning 11 out of 12 women from their previous squad. They already beat their team time average from the previous year at their season opener, and this is with the addition of sophomore Payton Hosley, who unfortunately lost most of her freshman season due to injury. Cornerstone is definitely on the come-up and we are excited to see how high their ceiling goes.
13. Embry-Riddle (AZ) Eagles
Taylor Roth leads the Eagles this season as the top returner, but one runner certainly can’t carry an entire lineup. Embry-Riddle (AZ) also has a promising freshman in Cristina Soto along with a string of rookies who are showing they have serious potential (but also carry youth-based liability). If the Eagles are able to take Roth’s experience and translate it to their younger runners, then there is a world where the Eagles make a bigger impact than we anticipate.
12. College of Idaho Coyotes
Julia Gilbert and Kylee Quinton will come back as the guiding lights for the Coyotes this year, but they lose their top freshmen from last year in Kimbrie Knudsen and Sarah Bolin. And though they were hoping to elevate their program with the addition of Kaylnn Misner, injury has already sidelined the first-year talent. This is a very young team (composed of mostly freshmen) that is lacking experience, but their raw talent and potential is hard to ignore.
11. Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes
A squad highlighted by returners, Kansas Wesleyan is poised for a big season, although that will hinge on Madisyn Ehrlich returning to top form. Even so, if the Coyotes are able to perfect their pack-running, then they could easily sneak their way even higher onto the rankings as the season progresses. The one thing they truly have going for them is that, even on Ehrlich’s worst day, Kansas Wesleyan has the depth to limit the scoring setback.
10. Saint Mary (KS) Spires
Coming off of a 3rd place finish at last year’s NAIA XC Championships, the Spires may struggle to replicate their performance with only two returners. That said, Saint Mary (KS) does have a handful of newcomers in Serenity Larson, Liv Lohf and Lakota Schultz to pair with their aforementioned returners. Sure, this team isn't as deep or as proven as they have been in the past, but they still have the pieces to be a sneaky-good squad in 2025.
9. SCAD Savannah Bees
Though the Bees might not be in contention for the podium this fall, they have a great 1-2 punch between returner Tali Sullivan and freshman Calpurnia Durnin. Another key name is junior Edith Manfred, someone who showed tons of promise as a sophomore. If SCAD Savannah can find reliable backend scoring options, then they have a chance at securing another top-10 performance at the 2025 NAIA XC Championships.
8. Dordt Defenders
The Defenders are looking good right now, with the entirety of their top-seven names returning this season, not only bringing in depth, but also a ton of experience. We are potentially looking at a team that can not only shake up the top-10, but may even be the underdog team to pull an upset of sorts depending on the meet. Their top two returners, Corinna Braun and Isabella Webb, are going to be key parts to Dordt’s success this fall, and hopefully the rest of the team is able to follow suit.
7. Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats
With a mix of both veterans and newcomers, the Wildcats do seem to be on a upwards trajectory this season, even with the loss of Addi Dewey. The Wildcats also scored a great new addition with freshman Sydney Liddle to pair with top-50 national meet finisher, Elizabeth Barrett. Indiana Wesleyan has already bested a few teams in their season opener, something that gives us reason to believe that they may very well be a top-10 team in the country this fall.
6. Cumberlands (KY) Patriots
This Cumberlands (KY) team enters the 2025 season with a series of question marks, mostly surrounding how they will do with what can be deemed as an entirely new squad. 2023 All-American Heather Durrant makes her long awaited return to the grass, alongside another 2023 teammate, Ashley Terry. Unfortunately for the Patriots, they will have to do without Alina Boshchuck this season (redshirting), but they do get back Elisa Helferich and pick-up freshman standout in Brynn Poulson.
5. Marian (IN) Knights
Marian is looking loaded with six of their previous seven women coming back to the grass this fall. Their greatest asset has to be low-stick Katie Woods, one of the single-most elite distance runners in the NAIA. It initially seemed that there would be too big of a time-spread between the runners for the Knights to be a serious team threat, but after adding first-year names Claire Milam and Kaelina Matthews, their odds have gotten alarmingly better.
4. Grace College Lancers
The Grace College women return this fall with a veteran-heavy squad, meaning that they are drowning in experience. There is plenty of room for new faces too with freshmen Faith Spain and Leah Emch who are expected to make major contributions to the team from the get-go. Pair low-stick addition Addi Dewey (via graduate transfer) with a mixture of the Lancers' pack-running, and you get a team with some serious podium potential.
3. The Master’s Mustangs
The defending national champions took a major hit with Hannah Fredericks and Ellen Palmgren no longer being on the team. And although they have the reliable duo of Alyssa Lovett and Suzie Johnson, their top returner, Emma Nelson, is a major question mark heading into this season. If Nelson can find their old form coming off of injury, and the veterans can guide the rookies into the right direction, then The Master’s women might just find their way back to a podium finish.
2. Milligan Buffaloes
Bringing back six out of seven women from last season’s squad, Milligan is looking better than ever. A team built with three All-Americans: Ellen-Mary Kearney, Alyssa Bearzi, Kirsten Geary, as well as two other top-75 finishers, the Buffaloes seemingly have the most depth of any returning team...minus our TSR #1 squad. With their blend of experience and firepower, it's easy to see why they are listed at TSR #2.
1. Taylor Trojans
After a devastating one-point difference kept Taylor from winning a national title in 2024, the Trojans are now set up with an arsenal strong enough to challenge anyone in the NAIA. They have two major low-sticks in sophomore Jaynie Halterman (the defending individual national champion) and Noel Bass (a top-10 All-American). They did lose a major player in Ahna Neideck, but the return of Samantha Patterson and Kaitlin Burden, along with extensive depth, makes the Trojans the clear choice for our TSR #1 spot.
