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Production via Wyatt Barnsley On this week’s episode of The Stride Report Podcast, Ben and Garrett preview a loaded Nuttycombe Invitational, breaking down the biggest team and individual battles on both the men’s and women’s sides. The guys dive into a highly anticipated men’s showdown between Iowa State and New Mexico, discussing what the matchup could tell us about two legitimate NCAA title contenders and which other programs could shake up the team standings. They then break down the top individual names to watch before turning their attention to the women’s race, analyzing the team favorites, potential surprises, and athletes capable of taking home the individual title. With many of the nation’s best going head-to-head, Ben and Garrett discuss what could be one of the most revealing weekends of the 2026 cross country season. Be sure to listen, subscribe and review! NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the release of the official Nuttycombe Invitational start lists for individual athletes. All discussion and analysis is based on the information available at the time of recording. (3:26) Men’s Nuttycombe Team Preview (21:31) Men’s Nuttycombe Individual Preview (30:38) Women’s Nuttycombe Team Preview (52:12) Women’s Nuttycombe Individual Preview You can listen to that episode (and others) on our PODCASTS page! You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Soundcloud. If you like it, be sure to leave us a rating and a review! Note: If you're having issues loading the episode on the site via mobile, try refreshing the episode page. We will look into this issue for future episodes.

Written by Conor Daly & Katie Hirsche Edits and additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve NOTE: These rankings are based on how an individual fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2026 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria (which was published in 2023). KEY (Unranked): Was not ranked in our last update. (#/#): First number indicates how much the athlete has moved in the rankings. The second number indicates where the athlete was ranked in our last update. 25. Chuck Vater, Junior, UW-La Crosse (-17 / 8) Has not yet raced this season. 24. Colin Goldschmidt, Senior, RPI (-9 / 15) We projected a bit of a jump for Colin Goldschmidt from his 26th place cross country national meet finish last fall after a reasonably solid, though not eye-popping, track campaign. While that hasn't quite happened to this point, that certainly isn't an indication that he's been running poorly. Goldschmidt's best race of the season so far was his most recent, at the Running of the Cows, where he was 17th. That result suggested that while he isn't necessarily better than he was last fall, he's pretty much just as good. If he continues to improve as he did throughout the early part of the season, there is absolutely room for him to regain some of the spots he lost since our preseason rankings. 23. Sanju Patel, Senior, U. of Chicago (-10 / 13) With U. of Chicago facing smaller fields in two September meets and running the Joe Piane Invitational as the only Division Three men's team, it's hard to be sure where some of their athletes are. In the case of Sanju Patel, he didn't look super sharp in September, but appeared to bounce back a bit at the Joe Piane Invitational. His 15th place finish in that field gave us a bit more confidence that he is at least getting close to top form. The next step will be for him to find a bit more consistency in the latter-half of the fall. 22. Renne Cooper, Junior, MIT (-12 / 10) There were some positive signs from Renne Cooper's first 8k of the fall, but ultimately it didn't quite align with how high we were on him during the preseason. But when you put it into context, it really wasn't a bad showing. Cooper missed most of the indoor track season after a strong opener in December, then had a bit of an underwhelming outdoor track season. Finishing 24th in a field like this, while not what might have been expected on paper, is a sign that he is at least sharp enough to hold his own at big meets. That should give him a bit of confidence that the pieces are there, and the sky is the limit when the puzzle is complete. 21. Pierce Young, Senior, SUNY Geneseo (-14 / 7) After an underwhelming opener at the RPI Fairgrounds Showdown, Pierce Young didn’t have the opportunity to bounce back at the Paul Short Run, much of which was canceled. The four-time All-American will have to wait another couple of weeks to reestablish himself among the top distance runners in Division Three, but in the meantime we are giving him some measure of benefit of the doubt. 20. Harris Gulbransen, Senior, Tufts (-14 / 6) The Running of the Cows didn't go how Harris Gulbransen expected, as he dropped from 20th just past the 3k mark all the way back to 114th. This one seems more like an outlier than a fitness issue, especially after a decent showing at the Aldrich Invitational where he was runner-up behind Eli Welch. With that in mind, we still consider Gulbransen to be somebody with top-half All-American potential. 19. Evan Lacey, Senior, RPI (-14 / 5) After winning the George Suitor Invitational, Evan Lacey finished a solid 3rd at the PRI Fairgrounds Showdown, beating the SUNY Geneseo duo of Pierce Young and Emerson Comer, but finishing behind two men who were unranked in the preseason. Lacey wasn't bad at the Running of the Cows, but his 20th place result was a bit further back than we would have expected. With a lot of season left, we are still pretty optimistic about Lacey. He is knocking on the door of his best form, and if he can break through, his ceiling will be incredibly high. 18. Ayden Buchanan, Junior, Wartburg (Unranked) We weren’t sure what to make of Ayden Buchanan beating teammate Isaiah Hammerand at the Grandview University Viking Invitational in a field where the Knights swept the first eight spots. It’s sometimes hard to interpret placements within a team when that team dominates a meet, but now Buchanan has another data point in the context of a nationally competitive field which has confirmed his elite status. At the Running of the Cows, he had an incredibly gutsy effort, going with Hammerand early and staying in the runner-up position for more than half of the race before eventually falling to 8th place. He may be even better than his 8th place finish indicates given that he was fading in the back half, so don’t be surprised if he continues to climb up these rankings. 17. Liam Hagerty, Senior, NYU (-6 / 11) Has not yet raced this season. 16. Harrison Dow, Senior, Amherst (Unranked) Unlike some others who didn't get to race at the Paul Short Run, Harrison Dow has still been exposed to some pretty high-level competition this season. In September, he competed at the Little Three XC Invitational and Wesleyan's Cardinal Invitational, finishing 3rd in both. The list of men who have beaten Dow this season is pretty exclusive: TSR #8 runner Dylan Cote (twice), TSR #11 runner Everett Mosher, and Eli Welch, who is in our “Just Missed” section, but was listed at preseason TSR #18. We still have to see Dow in a larger field before truly feeling good about where we have him ranked, but there is no doubt he has star potential. 15. Owen Clark, Junior, UW-La Crosse (+7 / 22) The only preseason critique we had of Owen Clark was that we hadn't seen him achieve the same level of success on the cross country course that he has on the track. We're starting to see it now. After finishing as the top UW-La Crosse runner at the Roy Griak Invitational, Clark had his first test against a Division Three field. He moved up throughout the first half of the race and stayed firm in the last couple of miles to finish 12th. Any bit of uncertainty about his ability on the grass has been eliminated, and even with that being the case, it seems like his ceiling hasn't quite been reached yet. 14. Jerry Xu, Junior, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Unranked) Perhaps an early Most Improved Award candidate, Jerry Xu's best cross country national meet placement was 130th coming into this fall, and his track PRs of 14:53 (5k) and 31:24 (10k) didn't necessarily indicate that a big jump would be coming. He showed some promise early, finishing as Claremont-Mudd-Scripps’ top runner in the Stags' season opener, then beating our TSR #12 runner, Jefferson Wright, at the UC Riverside Invitational. At the Running of the Cows, we could finally measure Xu's success against top-level Division Three competition, and we were once again pleasantly surprised as he finished 6th. Xu has arrived, and there are seemingly very few men in the country who can beat him right now. 13. Caleb Tenney, Sophomore, Johns Hopkins (Unranked) We were hesitant to give Caleb Tenney a ranking this preseason despite his outstanding success over 1500 meters, preferring guys who were more proven on the grass. With that being said, he has shown thus far this season that he has no problem adjusting to more aerobic racing. Tenney was the second Johns Hopkins finisher at the Virginia Invitational, and he snuck into the top-10 at the Running of the Cows. It's clear that he has a bit more range than we initially gave him credit for, and that he is capable of being in the mix in any Division Three field. 12. Jefferson Wright, Junior, Pomona-Pitzer (0 / 12) Once known as the freshman who ran 3:45 (1500), Jefferson Wright is now a more well-rounded athlete who is a threat on the grass, too. At the UC Riverside Invitational, Wright grinded his way to a sub-24:00 clocking, which historically suggests he is one of the best athletes in the country. Fast forward to the Running of the Cows, and Wright validated that suspicion with a 7th place finish against some of the top talents in the country. That was particularly encouraging to see for the middle distance specialist, since runners with that skillset tend to struggle on hillier courses that favor aerobic ability. Wright has always had the raw talent to make a splash like this on the grass, and now, it is hardly a surprise that we are seeing it come together for the first time. 11. Everett Mosher, Senior, WPI (Unranked) Also known as a 1500-meter specialist entering this fall, Everett Mosher has now showcased cross country talent that we really never got hints of before. After a rust-busting 6k effort, Mosher broke out onto the national stage for the first time at the Cardinal Invitational. There, he earned silver, only finishing behind a man ranked ahead of him, but handily ahead of some All-American favorites from Amherst and Washington & Lee. The senior continued that dominance at the RPI Fairgrounds Showdown, where he defeated full lineups from some of our top teams: RPI and SUNY Geneseo. It’s fair to say that some of his greatest competitors looked a bit off that day, but Mosher got the job done, nonetheless. 10. Emerson Comer, Senior, SUNY Geneseo (-6 / 4) It was disappointing to see a usually reliable presence for SUNY Geneseo not deliver on that in his lone run so far this fall. At the RPI Fairgrounds Showdown, Emerson Comer settled for 6th place in a race he should have won, if not gotten runner-up in at worst. Choosing his spot in our rankings was like walking a fine line between not overreacting to a single performance from the proven veteran, but also considering that to be in the top-10 of our rankings, you need to be at the very top of your game. 9. Theo Udelson-Nee, Sophomore, NYU (-6 / 3) Has not yet raced this season. Was not entered for the Paul Short Run. 8. Dylan Cote, Junior, Wesleyan (Unranked) Wow, is Dylan Cote taking a step forward this fall! After showing massive improvements during the spring, Cote has begun to collect scalps from some of the best runners in the Northeast region. His first instance of doing so was at the Little Three Championships (6k), where he defeated defending NESCAC cross country champion Eli Welch, as well as strong individuals from Williams and Amherst. At the Cardinal Invitational, Cote took down an even better field, namely getting the better of WPI’s Everett Mosher. In the process, the Wesleyan star put a sizable gap on the top runners from Amherst (once again) and Washington & Lee. There are few, if any, men who can say that they are undefeated this cross country season. Cote is also in similarly rare air regarding the big-time names he has beaten head-to-head. 7. BJ Sorg, Senior, North Central (+2 / 9) By showing excellent form last weekend away from Running of the Cows and the Paul Short Run, BJ Sorg has more than justified his preseason ranking. Sorg was the top Division Three runner by 34 places and 22 seconds at the John McNichols Invitational, performing to a high level there. Two weeks later, at the competitive Louisville XC Classic, Sorg ran under 24 minutes for the first time in his career to take 6th place. Sorg has held up more than well against non-D3 competition so far, but the question is how he’ll fare at the Augustana Interregional Invitational against Division Three foes this month. 6. Jonah Reisner, Senior, Tufts (+15 / 21) We’ve been impressed with Jonah Reisner in his first two outings this season, both top-five results in competitive fields. At the Purple Valley Classic, Reisner was the top collegiate finisher, placing 3rd and beating out Williams’ Malcolm Oakes by 26 seconds. Running of the Cows went even better, as Reisner was the only Jumbo not to fade through the race; he moved up steadily and finished 5th for a pair of the best results of his career so far. 5. Brady Ott, Junior, Johns Hopkins (Unranked) We certainly didn’t envision such a huge jump in fitness coming from Brady Ott, but he’s produced two top-tier results so far this season. Last year, Ott placed 77th at the 2025 cross country national meet. He’s run 14:33 (5k) and just under 4:10 (mile). Those are good times, but this is someone who’s never been an All-American and is suddenly performing like a top-five runner in the first half of the season. First, he led the way for his team at the Division One-heavy Virginia Invitational, placing 13th after finishing 24th in 2025. At the Running of the Cows, Ott was more than fantastic, finishing 4th (six seconds ahead of Reisner) and never falling out of the top-10. Ott is a reinvented athlete, and our top-ranked D3 men's team is glad for it. 4. Logan Murphy, Senior, UW-Stevens Point (+21 / 25) As one half of a dangerous duo for the Pointers, Logan Murphy seems to finally be reaching the form that we’ve thought he could for the past few seasons. We’re seeing Murphy at his best this season, and it’s glorious to follow along. A runner-up finish behind teammate Mateo Alvarado-Venegas at the 5th Annual Phoenix Open was good, but placing 3rd at the Running of the Cows was sensational. Murphy worked well with Alvarado-Venegas, never crossing a split lower than 6th place and pulling away from Ott and the rest of the field in the final section of the race. It was a fantastic performance, and we’re looking forward to more. 3. Mateo Alvarado-Venegas, Junior, UW-Stevens Point (+13 / 16) Well, we clearly didn’t see that coming at the Running of the Cows. After opening his season as the front end of a 1-2 finish with teammate Logan Murphy, Mateo Alvarado-Venegas blew us (and the field) away at the Running of the Cows, finishing as the runner-up. He was never situated lower than 5th in the entire race. Having a teammate to run with has only strengthened Alvarado-Venegas’ top form, and we’re excited to see how his season continues to progress. We haven’t seen anything like this from the Pointer before, and that’s always a fun surprise when someone emerges as a highly improved athlete so early on in a season. 2. Anthony Clark, Sophomore, Johns Hopkins (0 / 2) After a standout freshman year, we have high hopes for a top sophomore season from Anthony Clark despite a slow start to this fall. Though he didn’t compete with his team at the Running of the Cows and wasn’t spectacular at the Virginia Invitational, placing 19th behind teammates Brady Ott (TSR #5) and Caleb Tenney (TSR #13), we’re still high on Clark. One good-but-not-great result isn't enough to demote him yet. 1. Isaiah Hammerand, Senior, Wartburg (0 / 1) After years of being close to the top of Division Three, but not quite reaching it, Isaiah Hammerand looks to be in the form of his life, justifying our preseason ranking. Hammerand opened his season with a controlled runner-up effort at the Grandview University CC Viking Invitational. He finished behind our TSR #18 runner, Ayden Buchanan, but the Knights swept the top-eight spots at that meet, so it wasn’t as if he needed to be brilliant on that day. At the Running of the Cows, though, the result was never in doubt. Hammerand was leading from the gun, eventually winning by 18 seconds over Alvarado-Venegas and Murphy. Wartburg is a team on fire this season, and Hammerand’s a clear national title favorite. There isn’t much more analysis of the race to really say, other than the fact that Hammerand made a clear statement to anyone who wants to win in November. ADDED Brady Ott (Johns Hopkins) Dylan Cote (Wesleyan) Everett Mosher (WPI) Caleb Tenney (Johns Hopkins) Jerry Xu (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps) Harrison Dow (Amherst) Ayden Buchanan (Wartburg) KICKED OFF Stan Craig (Amherst) Evan Parker (U. of Chicago) Eli Welch (Williams) Carter Bengtson (Amherst) Yichen Sun (MIT) Alex Hrycyszyn (NYU) Max Sudrzynski (Washington U.) JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Evan Parker (U. of Chicago) Eli Welch (Williams) Carter Bengtson (Amherst) Alex Hrycyszyn (NYU) Max Sudrzynski (Washington U.) Sam Daunt (Washington & Lee) James Johnson (Simpson (IA)) Dylan Fiegener (MIT) Jack Brown (Central College) Malcolm Oakes (Williams) Stian Asper (Redlands) HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Stan Craig (Amherst) Yichen Sun (MIT) Donovan Crowley (Case Western) Oliver Moss (Carnegie Mellon) Simon Lane (Haverford) Tyler Bolaske (Keene State) Cedar Nicholas-Barnhart (Johns Hopkins) Will Aurit (UW-La Crosse) Robert Cooper (Washington & Lee) Grant Musick (U. of Chicago) Matt Kelly (Washington & Lee) Notes - N/A

Written by Gavin Struve & Garrett Zatlin NOTE: These rankings are based on how an individual fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2026 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria (which was published in 2023). KEY (Unranked): Was not ranked in our last update. (#/#): First number indicates how much the athlete has moved in the rankings. The second number indicates where the athlete was ranked in our last update. 25. Kiara Bester, Sophomore, Wingate (-13 / 12) Has not yet raced this season. 24. Abigail Abugire, Junior, West Texas A&M (Unranked) While best known as an 800-meter star on the oval, Abigail Abugire has proven to be a low-stick-caliber name on the grass as well. That, of course, was obvious to us last fall when earned a 40th place All-American honor at the NCAA XC Championships. So far this season, Abuigire looks just as good, if not better, than she did last fall. Despite not racing at the Texas Tech Open, the middle distance ace took 4th place at the always competitive Louisville XC Classic. That was a huge performance which more-than-validated Abugire as potent low-stick capable of thriving in a variety of larger fields. 23. Kseniya Nikanorov, Rs. Senior, UC-Colorado Springs (-1 / 22) A runner-up finish at the UCCS XC Rust-Buster was a solid result for Kseniya Nikanorov. And yet, for the most part, that performance doesn't really tell us anything new about her current form. Yes, Nikanorov did lose to former D3 star, Ainara Sainz de Rozas, and she was able to beat her teammate, Emma Montoya, as well as two talented names from Colorado College. Regardless, we'll get better idea of her current form when Nikanorov toes the line with her teammates on Sunday at D2 Pre-Nationals. 22. Elizabeth McQuitty, Sophomore, UC-Colorado Springs (-1 / 21) Has not yet raced this season. 21. Ainara Sainz de Rozas, Senior, Regis (CO) (Unranked) One of the most interesting developments we've seen so far this fall is the introduction of Ainara Sainz de Rozas to the Division Two level. If her name sounds familiar, that is likely because she was the Division Three national champion over 5000 meters this past spring after earning runner-up honors over 10,000 meters. Rozas is a talented name with tons of upside as well as great experience. And sure enough, all of those aspects could be seen at the UCCS XC Rust-Buster where she defeated the UC-Colorado Springs duo of Kseniya Nikanorov and Emma Montoya. We're still trying to get a feel of where Ainara Sainz de Rozas belongs in the D2 hierarchy of distance stars. But so far, she has been excellent. 20. Abigail Bester, Sophomore, Wingate (-12 / 8) We will admit, Abigail Bester significantly underwhelmed at the Paul Short Run this past Saturday, fading hard to a 228th place finish in the "Gold" section. It was a performance that truthfully left us a bit concerned about her prospects of being a star low-stick moving forward. Even so, everyone is allowed to have an "off" day. And frankly, this result was so far off of our expectations for Bester that it almost certainly feels like a fluke. That said, if we're being fair, the Wingate sophomore had to drop back double digit places in our rankings to reflect her latest outing. 19. Karlijn Mesman, Sophomore, Wingate (+1 / 20) Last fall, we saw Karlijn Mesman secure a promising 36th place All-American honor at the NCAA XC Championships. She later went on to have a successful year on the track, particularly in the steeplechase. However, what we saw from Mesman this past weekend at the Paul Short Run suggests that he has taken another step up. Her 43rd place finish in the "Gold" race was an exceptional result when you consider that she took 96th place in the same race last year. If Mesman is truly flirting with being a top-half All-American this fall, then Wingate's chances of winning the team national title should only be going up. 18. Jacqueline Sanchez, Senior, Wingate (Unranked) When we saw that Jacqueline Sanchez had transferred from Stanislaus State to Wingate, we expected her to be a very solid backend scorer or even a sixth runner for the Bulldogs. However, after her showing this past weekend, Sanchez looks more like a top-tier low-stick than anything else. The newest Wingate star posted a fantastic 29th place finish, emerging as a highly potent low-stick. And frankly, it was a level of firepower that we didn't realize she was capable of reaching. With Kiara Bester recently being absent and Abigail Bester struggling at Paul Short, Sanchez's rise couldn't have come at a better time. 17. Naomi Addo, Junior, West Texas A&M (-8 / 9) We fully recognize that dropping someone back eight spots in our rankings looks like a penalty for a series of poor performances. That, however, isn't necessarily the case with Naomi Addo. In the grand scheme of things, Addo's 5th place finish at the Texas Tech Open and 7th place effort at the Louisville XC Classic were two strong results. However, in both of those races, Addo fell behind a few of her teammates who are now ranked just a head of her. Truthfully, it would be difficult to list her ahead of those women knowing that she has been behind them in their latest races. With a few other women beating expectations and making big jump in our rankings, we felt like TSR #17 was the most appropriate spot that we could realistically find for Addo...for now. 16. Evie Brooks, Senior, Wingate (-3 / 13) Given the success that she had last year, and the ongoing growth that she has showcased in 2026, Evie Brooks' 33rd place effort at the Paul Short Run was right on par with our expectations for her. Yes, it's true, her 145th place finish at last year's Paul Short Run indicates that she has made a massive jump in her fitness. That performance, however, was a clear fluke, and her 25th place All-American honor from last fall proves just that. Despite moving down three spots in our rankings, Brooks' fitness seems to be perfectly on schedule with what we would expect from her. 15. Michelle Jemutai, Freshman, West Texas A&M (Unranked) 14. Lola Sarthou, Junior, West Texas A&M (Unranked) We were admittedly unsure of who the West Texas A&M women had added to their roster for this fall. That's why names such as Michelle Jemutai and Lola Sarthou are only now entering our rankings. These two new Buffaloes have been simply outstanding in two races so far this season. Both women have earned top-three finishes between the Texas Tech Open and the Louisville XC Classic. And for anyone wondering, those weren't just simple rust-busters -- there was some half-decent competition in both of those fields. We still need to see more from both Jemutai and Sarthou before we allow them to crack the top-10 portion of our rankings. But at their current rate, that feels more like a probability than a possibility. 13. Ruth Chemutai, Freshman, Missouri Southern (Unranked) We've only seen Ruth Chemutai toe the line for one race this season. However, that lone instance was for the Southern Stampede, a meet that held highly respectable competition, including Pittsburg State star, Paige Mullen (currently TSR #8). Despite being new to the NCAA and being faced with strong talent, Chemutai thrived, securing a marquee win by 12 seconds over Mullen! That was a statement performance that has catapulted the Missouri Southern freshman into our rankings. Yes, it's only one race, and we're holding off on ranking her any higher until we see her put together more than a single great performance. Even so, the start of her NCAA career has been simply fantastic so far. 12. Lauren Willson, Rs. Senior, Western Colorado (+4 / 16) A runner-up result at her home meet served as Lauren Willson’s tune-up ahead of D2 Pre-Nationals this weekend. Willson has traditionally raised her game in the postseason, so if she performs up to her potential at such a prominent regular season meet, then she may be in store for a more deserved bump up in our rankings. 11. Peyton Weiss, Rs. Senior, Western Colorado (+6 / 17) Peyton Weiss defeated Willson by 20 seconds to win the Mountaineer/Cowboy Invite last month. A 17:43 (5k XC) PR at altitude was a strong start to her season. That was essentially a time trial, but it was still impressive to see how decisively Weiss defeated Willson as well as new teammate Brighton Mooney. Weiss has quietly become one of the premier RMAC runners. Not only was she greater in her season opener, but she has earned cross country All-American honors in two of the past three years while finishing as the RMAC XC Championship runner-up in between. 10. Della Molina, Rs. Senior, Chico State (+1 / 11) A 3rd place finish against Division One competition was a nice start to Della Molina’s season, especially since she sat out last fall due to injury. Just as impressive, however, was how she placed relative to D1 opposition at the Saint Mary's Invitational. There, she finished comfortably ahead of her star teammates (Megan Malloy and Paulina Martins) who also performed well. That’s a big development given that the Wildcats no longer have Della’s star twin, Iresh Molina. Della Molina, Malloy and Martins will get a more telling test against Stanislaus State’s stars in an in-state duel later this month. 9. Allie Arnsman, Senior, Grand Valley State (-2 / 7) As part of a disappointing team performance for Grand Valley State, Allie Arnsman finished three seconds slower and one place worse at the Joe Piane Invitational than she did a year ago. That may put her current form closer to the 16th place and 15th place finisher that she was at the past two cross country national meets than where we had her pegged in the preseason. Even so, Arnsman's performance wasn't the issue in the Lakers' latest outing. She's a stable lead-scoring presence for a proud program that desperately needs one without Abby VanderKooi and Lauren Kiley. 8. Paige Mullen, Senior, Pittsburg State (-3 / 5) In a similar vein to Arnsman, Paige Mullen opened her season with a very similar performance to her 2025 opener. She was the runner-up at the Southern Stampede, just as she was last year, running 17:16 (5k XC) after running 17:10 in the same setting last fall. While linear year-to-year progression would be ideal, maintaining high-level consistency is also praiseworthy. The reason for Mullen’s slight demotion is the fact that she lost to a D2 freshman by a sizable margin. That said, she’ll have an opportunity for redemption (if you even think she needs it) at D2 Pre-Nationals this weekend. The biggest takeaway from the past month may be that one of the most accomplished D2 distance runners still appears quite fit. 7. Mary Ngige, Freshman, Adams State (Unranked) We had an inkling that Mary Ngige would be a star as soon as this season, placing her in the “Just Missed” section right outside of our preseason top-25 individual rankings. Even with reigning individual NCAA champion Tristian Spence yet to make her season debut, though, we didn’t expect Ngige to be Adams State’s lead scorer in both of the Grizzlies’ first two races. Well, she did just that, starting with winning the Joe I. Vigil Open by 25 seconds over her teammates and the CSU-Pueblo women. Then, Ngige placed 28th at the Cowboy Jamboree, a D1 meet featuring top-ranked BIG 12, SEC, ACC and Mountain West teams. Ngige finished one spot ahead of Emily Jobes (preseason TSR #4) in that setting, vaulting her up our rankings. Whether she can maintain that poise through the postseason is the next question, but through two meets, she's given us no reason to doubt her. 6. Sierra Wall, Sophomore, Colorado Mines (0 / 6) Has not raced yet this season. 5. Emily Jobes, Senior, Adams State (-1 / 4) Even though she finished two seconds behind Ngige at the Cowboy Jamboree, Emily Jobes gets to remain ahead of her rookie teammate as that was Jobes’ first race with the Grizzlies. The Boise State transfer remains one of the most talented runners in Division Two based on her years of national-caliber at the Division One level. The longer that Tristian Spence is absent from their lineup, the more Adams State needs Ngige and Jobes to continue to run like they did in Stillwater. 4. Joyce Kemboi, Junior, East Central (Unranked) The biggest riser in our individual rankings is someone who we would have seen coming had she been on our radar entering this season (TSR did reach out to East Central this summer, but didn't hear back). Joyce Kemboi transferred in from Texas A&M with 9:03 (3k) and 15:43 (5k) PRs. She also placed 77th at the NCAA D1 XC Championships last fall. She largely ran up to her potential at the Chile Pepper XC Festival, placing 5th as by far the top D2 finisher. Based on her championship experience and 5k ability, Kemboi can’t be ruled out from winning the individual NCAA title, and her East Central debut was an indication of that. 3. Emily LaMena, Rs. Junior, Colorado Mines (0 / 3) Has not raced yet this season. 2. Tristian Spence, Rs. Senior, Adams State (-1 / 1) Has not raced yet this season. 1. Allison Kuzma, Junior, Hillsdale (+1 / 2) Considering that she won NCAA indoor 5000-meter title and NCAA outdoor 10,000-meter title earlier this year, Allison Kuzma entered the fall as an NCAA title contender. She may be the favorite now after winning the 2026 Michigan State University Spartan Invitational and the "Open" race at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational. As a testament to her progress, Kuzma finished 18th at the Spartan Invitational last fall (which she won this year) before finishing 13th at the 2025 NCAA XC Championships. Compared to Spence and Emily LaMena, Kuzma has the advantage of a month of competition already under her belt. Plus, she has the advantage of multiple seasons of D2 championship experience over Kemboi. ADDED Joyce Kemboi (East Central) Mary Ngige (Adams State) Ruth Chemutai (Missouri Southern) Lola Sarthou (West Texas A&M) Michelle Jemutai (West Texas A&M) Jacqueline Sanchez (Wingate) Ainara Sainz de Rozas (Regis (CO)) Abigail Abugire (West Texas A&M) KICKED OFF Kalkidan Vincendeau (West Texas A&M) Hannah Gibson (Pittsburg State) Natalie Mello (Grand Valley State) Sarah Koomson (West Texas A&M) Annie Wild (Stanislaus State) Paulina Martins (Chico State) Megan Malloy (Chico State) Kate Henderson (UC-Colorado Springs) JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Hannah Gibson (Pittsburg State) Natalie Mello (Grand Valley State) Annie Wild (Stanislaus State) Paulina Martins (Chico State) Megan Malloy (Chico State) Kate Henderson (UC-Colorado Springs) Brighton Mooney (Western Colorado) Kennedy Roush (Anderson (SC)) Mary Edwards (Lewis) Firdaouss Hriche (Wingate) Keira Damron (Adams State) HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Gabriela Boeckman (Colorado Mines) Callen Nash (Colorado Mines) Kassidy Stuckey (Nebraska-Kearney) Lesli Salas (Dallas Baptist) Katie Price (Colorado Mines) Faith Kiplimo (Fayetteville State) Madison Brosig (UC-Colorado Springs) Olivia Magagna (Bloomsburg) Stella Rusch (Winona State) Ava Sparks (Lee (Tenn.)) Cara Eckenroth (Drury) Ella Edens (Western Washington) Notes - Since publishing our preseason rankings, The Stride Report has learned that Kalkidan Vincendeau (previously TSR #10) and Sarah Koomson (TSR #18) are not competing for West Texas A&M this season. As such, they have been removed in this update of our rankings.

Written by Sarah Turner & Gavin Struve Edits and additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve NOTE: These rankings are based on how an individual fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2026 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria (which was published in 2023). KEY (Unranked): Was not ranked in our last update. (#/#): First number indicates how much the athlete has moved in the rankings. The second number indicates where the athlete was ranked in our last update. 25. Franklin Kipchirchir, Junior, Fayetteville State (-7 / 18) While many of the athletes in our rankings have raced sparingly, Franklin Kipchirchir has already put together an impressive body of work. He opened his season with a runner-up finish at the Queen City Invite, followed by a victory at the Rams Atlantic Region Preview. His biggest statement came at the Paul Short Run, where he placed 12th in the prestigious “Gold” race against a field loaded with Division One talent. While four Division Two runners finished ahead of him, his performance reinforced his status as one of the better Division Two runners. His demotion in our rankings is more about a few surprise D2 stars emerging at the Paul Short Run whereas Kipchirchir largely matched expectations. The Fayetteville State star already owns an All-American finish from last fall, and based on his early results, he looks poised to improve on that 35th place national meet finish. The pieces are there for a breakthrough year; now it's about fine-tuning the details before championship season arrives. 24. Jack Gumm, Senior, Adams State (+1 / 25) Jack Gumm wasted no time reestablishing himself on the national radar, turning in a strong 19th place finish at the Cowboy Jamboree against a field steep with Division One talent, including runners out of Oklahoma State, New Mexico, Tulsa and TCU. He also crossed the line as Adams State's second scorer. Perhaps most encouraging is that Gumm looked every bit like the athlete who has been a national factor throughout his career, despite racing in just one meet so far this fall. If history is any indication, his fitness should continue to build as the season progresses. The opportunities for major tests may be limited until championship season arrives, but when the RMAC XC Championships roll around in November, expect Gumm to be right in the mix against some of the best runners in D2. 23. Shamil Kiprono, Freshman, Texas A&M International (Unranked) Welcome to collegiate running, Shamil Kiprono! The latest overseas addition to Texas A&M International is already making an immediate impact, and early results suggest the Dustdevils may have found another star. Kiprono has finished in 1st place or 2nd place in all three of his races this season, wasting little time establishing himself as one of the top newcomers in Division Two. He opened his collegiate career with a three-second victory at the UIW Invitational before following it up with another individual title at the Mountaineer Hill Country Invitational. Perhaps most notably, he finished ahead of proven All-American teammate Ian Rono in both races. More recently, at the OLLU Invitational, Kiprono settled for 2nd place behind Rono. Even so, that result did little to diminish the excitement surrounding his potential. The reason he's ranked here and not higher is simple: he’s unproven against top-end D2 talent aside from his teammate. But based on what he's shown so far, the raw talent is undeniable. If his early-season form translates to championship racing, Kiprono could rise quickly from promising newcomer to superstar. 22. Jacob Walker, Rs. Senior, Saginaw Valley State (-6 / 16) Jacob Walker opened the year with a runner-up finish at the George Dales Invitational, positioning himself near the front of a field that featured Division One competition and leading the Cardinals to a convincing team victory over Marian (Ind.). It's only been one race, but that effort reinforced a trend that we've been watching for over a year now: Walker continues to get better. After emerging as a key scorer and track All-American last academic year, he enters this fall looking more and more like a runner capable of making a national breakthrough. Can he earn his first cross country All-American honor in December? If his current trajectory continues, the answer is looking increasingly likely to be "yes." 21. Flynn Pumpa, Rs. Sophomore, Grand Valley State (Unranked) Any questions about how Flynn Pumpa's success would translate from the JUCO ranks to NCAA cross country have been answered quickly. After spending last fall at the junior college level, there was some uncertainty surrounding where Pumpa would fit among Division Two's top cross country runners. Sure, his track credentials were strong -- he reached the NCAA indoor mile final and earned All-American honors in the 3000-meter steeplechase -- but a 60th place finish at the 2025 NJCAA XC Championships suggested that there was still room to grow on the grass. And so far, he's looked more than ready for the challenge. Pumpa opened his season with a runner-up finish at the Calvin Knight Invitational, immediately showing he could be a factor in Grand Valley State's lineup. He followed that performance with an even bigger statement at the Joe Piane Invitational, placing 17th against a field loaded with Division One talent. Perhaps most impressive was the fact that he crossed the line as GVSU's top finisher. Leading the Lakers at one of the premier regular season meets is no small feat, and it suggests Pumpa's transition to NCAA competition has been even smoother than expected. 20. Braden Struhs, Rs. Senior, Colorado Mines (+2 / 22) Opening your season at the Gans Creek Call can be a daunting challenge. For Braden Struhs, however, it looked like business as usual. Still somewhat fresh off earning his first career All-American honor with an 8th place finish over 10,000 meters at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Struhs carried that momentum into this fall. He finished 23rd at the Gans Creek Classic, crossing the line as the third Oredigger scorer against a large D1 field. More than anything, that result highlighted the incredible depth that 'Mines possesses this season. On many teams, a runner of Struhs' caliber would be the clear front-runner. For the Orediggers, he's part of a loaded pack capable of competing with anyone in Division Two. What makes his performance particularly notable is where he stands in his career. Despite years of development within one of the nation's premier programs and individual track success, Struhs has yet to make Colorado Mines' NCAA XC Championship lineup. That’s looking like it should finally change this fall. 19. Danyom Yosief, Rs. Junior, Adams State (-4 / 15) Has not yet raced this season. 18. Tyler Nord. Rs. Senior, Western Colorado (-1 / 17) It should come as no surprise to see Tyler Nord in our rankings early in the season. The Western Colorado veteran has built a reputation as one of Division Two’s more reliable postseason performers, and he wasted no time making an impression in what will likely be his final collegiate cross country campaign. Nord opened his season with a convincing victory at Western Colorado's home meet, crossing the line 20 seconds ahead of the field. And while the competition wasn't the deepest that he'll see all year, the result served its purpose: a reminder that he's entering the fall in strong form. It's the only race Nord has contested so far, but his résumé speaks for itself. With years of conference, regional, and national meet experience under his belt, he's earned the benefit of the doubt. The bigger tests are still ahead, but if history is any indication, then Nord will be at his best when the races matter most. 17. Weldon Chebon, Junior, New Mexico Highlands (-15 / 2) After finishing 8th at the NCAA XC Championships last fall and claiming the South Central regional title, Weldon Chebon entered the year with expectations of being one of the nation's top runners and an NCAA title contender. However, Chebon had a quiet spring campaign that featured just one track race, a 15:10 effort over 5000 meters. That left some uncertainty about where his fitness would be heading into the fall. So far, the results haven't quite matched the standard he established in 2025. Chebon opened his season with a 17th place finish against a strong field of JUCO competition, a result that felt modest for a runner of his caliber. Two weeks later, he again finished 17th at the Texas Tech Open, with 10 Division Two athletes crossing the line ahead of him. For context, Chebon placed 3rd at that same meet a year ago. That doesn't mean it's time to panic. Championship-caliber runners often build toward November rather than September, and Chebon has already proven he knows how to peak when it matters most. Even so, based on his résumé, it's fair to say that we expected a little more through the opening month of this season. 16. Benson Lingokal, Rs. Freshman, Harding (-11 / 5) It’s Benson Lingokal’s first season on the grass for Harding, and based on what we saw on the track this spring, we were very high on him. Perhaps our expectations were too large for his first cross country season. For someone who is dropping over 10 spots in our rankings, it's not like he has struggled so far. Lingokal opened the fall with a runner-up finish in Memphis against a D1-heavy field before cruising to a 12-second victory at Harding's home meet. He then placed 4th in a deep regular season field at the Louisville XC Classic. That result was impressive, but it saw him finish behind three D2 men. Envisioning a no-time All-American as a top-five runner in his first cross country season may have been a bridge too far, even if he ran 13:48 (5k) and 28:45 (10k) earlier this year. Or maybe Lingokal needed a few races to get up to speed ahead of the postseason. At any rate, he is still very much an All-American favorite. 15. Ewen Guilmois, Freshman, Wingate (+9 / 24) Buy your Ewen Guilmois stock now, because the freshman phenom looks like he's here to stay. The Wingate newcomer has only raced once this season, but one contest was all it took for him to make a major statement. Guilmois announced his arrival to collegiate running with an 8th place finish against a very deep regular season field at the Paul Short Run “Gold” race. For a newcomer making his mark on the NCAA scene, that was an eye-opening debut. It made him the second Bulldog across the finish line. Even more impressively, only two D2 runners finished ahead of him. Guilmois' performance helped power Wingate to the team title against a field loaded with D1 competition, and reinforced why the Bulldogs are viewed as one of the nation's premier programs regardless of division. The résumé he brought from France suggested he could be special. Now, we have proof. If this debut is any indication, then Guilmois is already emerging as one of the top runners in Division Two. 14. Arthur Faroux, Junior, Wingate (-2 / 12) Has not yet raced this season. 13. Thibault Tauziede, Rs. Freshman, Adams State (Unranked) We'll be the first to admit it: Leaving Thibault Tauziede out of our preseason rankings looks like it was a mistake. The Adams State newcomer has wasted no time making an impact, turning in two impressive performances to open his first cross country season in green. Tauziede began the fall with an individual victory in a dual meet against CSU-Pueblo, but his real statement came at the Cowboy Jamboree. There, he finished 13th overall against a loaded field and emerged as the top D2 finisher in the race. And maybe more impressively, he led Adams State's lineup on that day. There's still one box left to check. Tauziede has yet to prove himself on the national stage, but he has experience in that setting from the track, and the early signs suggest that he has the talent to do exactly that. In a season in which Adams State will need every point they can get in its pursuit of an NCAA title, Tauziede is quickly emerging as one of the Grizzlies' most important pieces. 12. Samuel Gilson, Senior, Wingate (-6 / 6) In returning to the site where he ran his first Wingate race, Samuel Gilson ran the same time down to the second that he did at the Paul Short Run in 2025. Gilson replicated that 24:20 mark at this year’s Paul Short Run, placing 15th in the “Gold” race. That made him “only” the Bulldogs’ fourth scorer in that setting, hence the small drop in our rankings. The reality is that Gilson’s 9th place finish at last year’s NCAA XC Championships (making him one of the top returners this year) was a bit of an outlier on an otherwise still-strong resume. He could certainly match or improve upon that performance later this fall, but the Paul Short Run served as a reminder that a top-10 standing in D2 isn’t his standard just yet. 11. Fikadu Gonzalez, Sophomore, Wingate (Unranked) The top-ranked runner on the top-ranked team was not who we expected. Fikadu Gonzalez was an exciting addition for Wingate, carrying 1:49 (800) and 4:05 (mile) PRs from one year at Texas Tech. He also ran 3:38 for 1500 meters during his time in Spain. However, he was less established on the cross country course and was no guarantee, on paper, to make Wingate’s varsity lineup this fall. Nonetheless, he placed 7th in the Paul Short Run “Gold” race, leading the Bulldogs to the team title. Despite having very little long distance racing under his belt (and not a ton of NCAA competition of any kind), Gonzalez looked like one of the best runners in Division Two against an elite field. 10. Mario Giannini, Senior, Chico State (+4 / 14) Speaking of D2 teams thriving in D1 fields, Chico State won the Saint Mary’s Invitational in part because Mario Giannini won the individual meet title. In contrast to Gilson, Giannini had his worst race of last fall on the national stage. He’s bounced back since then, placing 6th over 10,000 meters at the 2026 outdoor national meet. This, however, was an especially auspicious start to the season. It’s possible that we have Giannini underrated given that he’s more experienced and proven than several of the men ranked ahead of him who have faced larger fields so far this season. Unfortunately, Chico State isn’t competing in any top-end D2 fields during the regular season. 9. Ian Rono, Sophomore, Texas A&M International (-6 / 3) It was surprising to see Ian Rono lose to a freshman teammate in his first two races of this season after he was Texas A&M International’s superstar rookie last year. Alas, after finishing 2nd and 3rd in those fields, he won the OLLU Invite by 15 seconds over the last weekend. Rono hasn’t been tested by any top D2 fields yet, but will be pushed more at the DBU Old Glory Gallup and the Lone Star Conference XC Championships later this month. For now, we know that he’s one of the highest-upside individuals in Division Two given what he already achieved as a freshman last fall. 8. Oliver Diaz, Junior, Western Colorado (+1 / 9) Has not yet raced this season. 7. Joaquin Campos, Senior, Adams State (+1 / 8) Has not yet raced this season. 6. Matthew Meli, Rs. Freshman, Charleston (WV) (Unranked) We knew that Matthew Meli was a potential star entering this season; he was an “Honorable Mention” outside of our preseason top-25 individual rankings after he qualified for the 5000 meters at the 2026 outdoor national meet. However, he was even better than anticipated after finishing runner-up in the Paul Short Run “Gold” race. Meli was clearly an aerobic star based on what he achieved on the track earlier this year, but to emerge as the top D2 runner in a field featuring Wingate (and nearly beat every D1 man) in your first collegiate cross country meet is quite the feat. Given that he already has NCAA Championship experience, his ceiling is exponential. 5. Ethan Grolnic, Rs. Senior, Colorado Mines (Unranked) Ethan Grolnic’s surprise return to Golden, Colorado, this season vaulted the Orediggers to TSR #1 in our preseason team rankings. He was about as good as anticipated in his season debut, placing 20th at the Gans Creek Classic, which featured the likes of Arkansas, Tennessee, Wichita State, Ole Miss, Missouri and others. Grolnic was Colorado Mines’ second scorer and is looking more like the version of himself who placed 9th at the 2024 NCAA XC Championships than the one who placed 33rd at the 2025 NCAA XC Championships. Another test awaits at D2 Pre-Nationals this weekend. Grolnic has traditionally excelled in high-leverage regular season meets, and he’s established a high floor for the postseason. That status as more of a known commodity than many of the men in this range of our rankings lands him in the top-five. 4. Meshack Keter, Sophomore, West Texas A&M (Unranked) The biggest riser in our first rankings update is fittingly someone who we knew nothing about entering this season, as he had no results that we could find. Meshack Keter has results now, finishing runner-up behind Texas Tech star Titus Kimaru in his first collegiate race and producing another sub-24:00 (8k XC) mark in winning the Louisville XC Classic this past weekend. This time, Keter outran D2 stars like Pierre Chauveau, Stephen Clark and Benson Lingokal in a nine-second win. He probably won’t face as strong of a field as the ones he opened against until the season finale. His resume is pretty flawless for a D2 runner, and we’re excited to see how he stacks up at the NCAA XC Championships. Considering Keter’s youth and upside, it doesn't feel too hyperbolic to consider that West Texas A&M may have another William Amponsah on their hands. 3. Ricardo Vargas, Senior, Cal Poly Pomona (+4 / 7) Given that Ricardo Vargas announced himself as a star at a Pre-Nationals meet last year (the Lucian Rosa Invitational), we’re excited to see him compete at D2 Pre-Nationals this weekend. At this point in the season, he’s taken advantage of the departure of many of last year’s top D2 men and the volatility among the projected top individuals entering this season, rising up our rankings. Vargas has taken care of business thus far, finishing as the top collegian in both of his races this fall. 2. Dawson Gunn, Rs. Senior, Colorado Mines (+2 / 4) Dawson Gunn delivered on our lofty expectations with his 10th place finish at the Gans Creek Classic. He finished among a number of strong D1 runners in what was probably the best cross country race of his career. Gunn had already established himself as a strong cross country runner, given that he’s a two-time All-American during the fall months. However, he redefined his ceiling by finishing 2nd over 5000 meters at the 2026 indoor national meet and the 2026 outdoor national meet. Early indications are that he has carried that fitness over to the cross country course. 1. Evan Horgan, Senior, Lewis (0 / 1) Has not yet raced this season. ADDED Meshack Keter (West Texas A&M) Ethan Grolnic (Colorado Mines) Matthew Meli (Charleston (WV)) Fikadu Gonzalez (Wingate) Thibault Tauziede (Adams State) Flynn Pumpa (Grand Valley State) Shamil Kiprono (Texas A&M International) KICKED OFF Conor Somers (Grand Valley State) Nate Mueller (Wingate) Báhozhóni Church (Grand Valley State) Elijah Smith (Fort Lewis) Owen Westerkamp (Grand Valley State) Daniel Appleford (Colorado Mines) Chakib Cherkaoui Rhazouani (Adams State) JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Conor Somers (Grand Valley State) Nate Mueller (Wingate) Báhozhóni Church (Grand Valley State) Elijah Smith (Fort Lewis) Owen Westerkamp (Grand Valley State) Daniel Appleford (Colorado Mines) Chakib Cherkaoui Rhazouani (Adams State) Yilan Jacquin (Wingate) Sfiso Makolomakwa (Adams State) Brett Davis (UC-Colorado Springs) Noah Selvaraj (Grand Valley State) Pierre Chauveau (Lee (Tenn.)) HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Grayson Gibbons (Anderson (SC)) Krzysztof Zielinski (Wingate) Tobias Ritter (West Texas A&M) Zach Elam (Biola) Mohamed Dahmouch (Wingate) Sebastian Ramirez (Grand Valley State) Kelvin Kipchumba (Charleston (WV)) Soufyane Laaziz (Adams State) Cody Wyman (Colorado Mines) Tucker Wright (Lee (Tenn.)) Mateo Luna (Colorado Christian) Jonah Billings (Western Washington) Jared Alderfer (Western Washington) Stephen Clark (Lee (Tenn.)) Merlijn Van Der Velden (West Texas A&M) Pau Valderrama (Missouri Western) Jessiel Paez (Adams State) Caden Schweer (CSU-Pueblo) Notes - N/A

Written by Kevin Fischer, Conor Daly & Katie Hirsche Edits and additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve NOTE: These rankings are based on how an individual fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2026 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria (which was published in 2023). KEY (Unranked): Was not ranked in our last update. (#/#): First number indicates how much the athlete has moved in the rankings. The second number indicates where the athlete was ranked in our last update. 25. Sydney Shock, Junior, Johns Hopkins (Unranked) Given that she entered the season with a well-diversified resume of both cross country and track success, seeing Sydney Shock emerge as Johns Hopkins’ second runner does not come as too much of a surprise. In her season opener at the Virginia Invitational, Shock was over 10 seconds better than she was a year ago over 5000 meters. This was encouraging to see before she took on more telling competition at the Running of the Cows. In Northfield, the upperclassman delivered a lead-scoring performance for her team, crossing the line in 14th place. No, that run did not knock our socks off, but with experience on the national stage and consistency since March, Shock’s body of work and potential upside felt deserving of a shoutout in our rankings. 24. Isla Duncan, Freshman, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Unranked) One of the newest Athenas is having a rookie campaign for the ages, especially for someone who we did not identify over the summer as having instant nationally competitive promise. And based on everything we saw on her resume, that was a fair assessment. That, however, has not seemed to matter to Isla Duncan, as she was beyond fantastic at the UC Riverside Invitational, where she placed 12th. But more importantly, she ran a time that was similar to that of now-graduated Claremont-Mudd-Scripps star Riley Capuano during the seasons when she would go on to be a top-half All-American. The novice held her own at her biggest test yet at the Running of the Cows, something that is even more important to us. With a 13th place finish there, Duncan solidified the idea that she can be a top-half All-American this November and can execute in scary, talent-packed fields. 23. Morgan Eigel, Senior, Williams (-12 / 11) After earning bronze over 3000 meters at the 2026 indoor national meet, Morgan Eigel has not emerged as a noticeably better runner this fall, at least not just yet. She began her season with a forgivable "off" day at the Little Three XC Championships before rebounding at the Purple Valley XC Classic. On her home course, the senior looked to be in strong form, placing 3rd, only trailing two of her star teammates. Those two relatively unimportant early season performances more or less canceled each other out. Since then, her 18th place finish at the Running of the Cows was notably below expectations for the multi-time All-American. Yes, there is still reason to believe Eigel will be just as good as last year. However, with a mixed bag of performances this season, we need to drop her in our rankings because we are just none too sure what to expect anymore. 22. Kiera Tallas, Senior, Connecticut College (Unranked) A breakout national qualifying spring season has translated to an exciting fall campaign for Kiera Tallas. After winning a lightly contested season opener, the senior competed well against Division One programs to earn a 4th place finish at the UMass Dartmouth XC Invitational. Those were stepping stones to by far Tallas’ best cross country race of her career. That, of course, came from a 12th place finish at the Running of the Cows amongst a few women we have already mentioned and many more we will in the coming paragraphs. That solidified the idea that Tallas can not only be an All-American, but can do so with room to spare. 21. Ingrid Norquist, Senior, Macalester (Unranked) Now that we are digging into it, Ingrid Norquist had a sneaky-good cross country season last fall. A resume that features a 12th place finish at the Augustana Interregional Invitational and an 81st place finish at the NCAA XC Championships demands respect. However, after not seeing Norquist on the track at all since then, the idea of her being an All-American this fall felt far-fetched. That was, until the racing began. A Minnesota local, Noquist took an early season win at the St. Olaf Ole Opener against a lightly contested field. However, the greatest development that came from that was the chance to see where she would be back for Running of the Cows in a few weeks' time. That scouting clearly paid off, as the senior produced a logic-defying 10th place finish against a very good field. Add in a second win of the season a few weeks prior to that Running of the Cows performance, and Norquist has seemingly thrived in every race scenario that has been placed in front of her. 20. Ellie Kozich, Junior, DeSales (0 / 20) We’re not going to demote athletes who missed the chance to run at the Paul Short Run much, if at all, especially if their early-season form was inconclusive or solid. Ellie Kozich broke out during the indoor track season, placing 6th over 5000 meters at the 2026 indoor national meet after a "last chance" qualifier. Despite a bit of a rough outdoor track season, we were high on her coming into the season. We simply don’t have much data to work with for Kozich’s form so far, as she placed 7th at the 43rd Annual DeSales University XC Invitational in what was clearly an easier effort to open her season. We will wait to make any conclusions on Kozich’s fitness until she faces more competition with an all-in effort. 19. Breanna Schmitt, Senior, George Fox (Unranked) After becoming a 38th place All-American at the 2024 cross country national meet, Breanna Schmitt only competed through the Paul Short Run (where she placed 27th in the “White” race) in the 2025 cross country season and didn’t run at all on the track earlier this year, so we weren’t sure where she stood coming into the 2026 fall season. This fall, though, Schmitt has been lights-out. She was the runner-up behind an NAIA competitor at the PLU Invitational, giving us a good glimpse of her form. The Running of the Cows turned out to be the biggest and most successful test for Schmitt, as she went out in the top-three and held onto a top-10 spot the whole race, eventually crossing the finish line in 9th. Among others, Schmitt beat out our TSR #9 runner, Kate Tuttle, an impressive feat that shows her great promise for the rest of the season. 18. Joley Berger, Junior, Ripon (Unranked) Last spring was a banner season for Joley Berger, who dropped a massive amount of time off her 10k PR to run 35:20 and make the 2026 outdoor national meet, where she eventually placed 19th. Berger’s last result at the cross country national meet came in 2025, where she placed 131st, and she’ll likely crush that result if she keeps this form up. She opened this season with a win at the Tom Barry Invitational, winning by nearly a minute, then placed 2nd among collegiate runners and first among Division Three runners at the Titan Fall Classic. However, she really showed off her new fitness at the Running of the Cows, placing 6th. Berger clearly is more comfortable in national-caliber fields after the 2025-26 academic year, which should help her next month. 17. Claire Palmer, Sophomore, Middlebury (-7 / 10) Truth be told, we were looking for a bit more from Claire Palmer in the first two meets of her season. After a freshman year that nearly brought a top-half All-American result on the grass, Palmer seemed set for an even better sophomore year, and she still is in our estimation. In the season-opening Aldrich Invitational, against Williams’ top squad, Palmer placed 6th, just behind teammate Annelise Jensen. That was a solid but not spectacular result. Palmer ran well at the Maribel Sanchez Souther Invitational, placing 16th, a better run that set her up for a strong Paul Short Run effort. Of course, she didn't get that chance, with her race being canceled. Even so, she'll soon run with the Panthers at the Connecticut College Invitational, and that will be a huge test. 16. Stella Kuttner, Junior, NYU (0 / 16) We’re remiss to remove any NYU athletes from our rankings considering that they haven’t had a chance to really show what they can do this season, so Stella Kuttner stays where she is. Kuttner placed 7th at the Vassar Season Starter over 3000 meters in the only meet of her season so far. That was a good result, but one that makes it unclear where her fitness is really at. It will be a few more weeks before we can really get a read on where Kuttner shakes out this season. 15. April Schilling, Senior, Connecticut College (Unranked) Should we give her our "Most Improved Runner" award already? Ok...maybe not yet. Entering the fall, April Schilling was arguably not even a top-100 name in the country. Her best performance last fall was likely a 37th place finish at the Mideast Regional XC Championships. On the track, 2:16 (800) and 5:11 (mile) performances are solid, but not nationally competitive, nor do they suggest success over the 6k distance. But none of that logic seems to matter this fall. In her first two races of the season, Schilling was a strong second scorer for the Camels. But that was merely the tip of the iceberg, as the senior broke through in an unbelievable way with a 4th place finish at the Running of the Cows. That is simply too good to be considered a fluke and raises her ceiling to a height we never dreamed possible. 14. Grace Rowley, Junior, NYU (0 / 14) Has not raced yet this season. 13. Ashlyn Pallotta, Sophomore, NYU (0 / 13) Even though Ashlyn Pallotta ran a conservative 3000-meter season-opening effort, she has not truly raced in any meaningful fashion this season. As such, the defending UAA cross country champion does not budge from TSR #13 in our rankings. 12. Madison Hedglin, Sophomore, Misericordia (+3 / 15) After a star freshman year, Madison Hedglin continues to be an individual standout for an oftentimes forgotten Misericordia program. In her first two races of the season, she was hardly challenged at a pair of home meets, taking comfortable wins in each. She faced greater competition at the Lock Haven University XC Invitational, where she earned bronze. However, Hedglin did not face any notable Division Three competition there, making her true fitness still a bit of an unknown. Considering she is not attending the Connecticut College Invitational, nor does she have a competitive conference, this uncertainty may be the case for the foreseeable future. Ultimately, she moves up in our rankings in part because of the struggles of others who were previously ranked ahead of her. 11. Katja Dunayevich, Sophomore, U. of Chicago (+7 / 18) Even if she has not gone head-to-head with any of the Goliaths of Division Three yet this season, Katja Dunayevich has done no wrong in her three outings so far this fall. She broke the tape at the Saints Twilight Invite and Gil Dodds Invitational, where she did not face any runners that could realistically threaten her. However, that was not the case in the Joe Piane Invitational “Gold” race. There, Dunayevich logged a strong 10th place finish against a field that mainly featured women from outside of the Division Three circuit. Her 17:31 (5k) mark there was quite quick for the grass, but the real resume boost came from the fact that it was over 15 seconds quicker than she ran at that meet a year ago! That points to the sophomore being ready to be considered one of the premier names not only in the Midwest region, but in the country, too. 10. Tamar Byl, Senior, Williams (+2 / 12) As an already-proven cross country star, Tamar Byl has filled that same role this season for the national championship-contending Ephs. In what has been a busy beginning of the season, Byl first placed 4th at the Little Three Championships over 4000 meters before placing 2nd at the Purple Valley XC Classic over the full 6k distance. And while those placements may seem a bit further back for a top-10 runner in the country, you need to remember just how good her teammates are. The veteran’s biggest test this season came at the Running of the Cows. There, she placed 8th amongst the stacked nationally competitive field, largely meeting expectations. Sure, we might be ranking Byl ahead of women who beat her head-to-head that day, but her steadiness is a huge plus, as is her multi-time All-American resume that has proven she can maintain this level. 9. Kate Tuttle, Junior, Williams (-2 / 7) Coming off of a shrug-inducing cross country season, but a jaw-dropping track campaign, during her sophomore year, Kate Tuttle’s 2026 fall campaign has trended closer to her track successes so far. Season-opening wins against her star teammates at the Little Three Invitational and the Aldrich Invitational were huge for seeing her return to elite form on the grass, especially when you consider that she beat defending national champion Audrey Maclean in the latter effort. Tuttle took down some of the best names in the country, and it did not come as too much of a surprise, truthfully. Unfortunately, seeing Tuttle run below expectations to place 11th at the Running of the Cows, in by far her biggest test of the season, does require us to weigh that against her. Sure, this may be something that both Tuttle and we will look back on by the end of the season as a fluke "off" day, but considering her history of some variability on the grass, we were forced to take this downturn a bit more seriously. 8. Charlie Flint, Senior, Colorado College (+11 / 19) After a strong junior cross country season, Charlie Flint was held back in our Running of the Cows predictions after having a "just okay" track season. However, in that effort, she proved that what happened on the oval is secondary and that she is one of the top D3 runners in the country. There, she recorded by far the best result of her career with a huge bronze medal-worthy performance. She only lost to a cross country national meet runner-up and a star freshman who is running out of her mind at the moment. In this run, Flint unlocked a ceiling we did not think possible for her this fall and forces us to consider how close to the national title favorites she can get. Her pedigree did not quite suggest that she could pull off something like that, but by no means did it come out of the blue, either. 7. Lucinda Laughlin, Junior, Washington U. (-2 / 5) Following her outstanding sophomore track seasons, we were expecting a nice progression from Lucinda Laughlin. And after she ran 4:17 (1500) and 16:24 (5k), how could you blame us? The cross country upside that we envisioned has not come to fruition just yet, but Laughlin is also not far from it. Her season-opening performance at the John McNichols Invitational did not really move the needle for us, as we saw the Running of the Cows as a better fitness check. In Minnesota, Laughlin held her own with a 7th place finish against a very talented field, delivering an impactful low-stick performance for the Bears. We are still clinging to her track PRs that suggest there’s some more meat on the bone, but even if there’s not, the Bears’ leader is still comfortably a top-15 name in the country. 6. Carter Brotherton, Junior, Johns Hopkins (+2 / 8) The leader of the Blue Jays is making a case for herself as one of the most consistent runners both from race to race as well as from season to season. In her season opener at the Virginia Invitational, Brotherton performed well, suggesting she is on track for another successful season. Her exact time was 10 seconds slower than she ran there last year before she went on to place 10th at the cross country national meet, but this is within the margin of error that keeps her more or less on the same trajectory. Her more telling performance came at the Running of the Cows, where she placed 5th in a field that featured the majority of the women within the top-10 of our rankings. And while that was good as is, it’s nice to realize that a 3rd place finish was within 15 meters at the finish. 5. Josephine Dziedzic, Senior, NYU (+1 / 6) Very little to report from New York City. Josephine Dziedzic has only contested a 3000-meter race at the Vassar Season Starter, where she put forth a conservative effort to finish in a pack with her teammates. The cancellation of the Paul Short Run stripped us of an opportunity to see the veteran star put her best foot forward. At this point, we expect her to be in excellent form in her next race. 4. Sophie Capozzi, Freshman, Williams (Unranked) Before setting foot in Williamstown, Massachusetts, we knew Sophie Capozzi would be good. After all, she had run 9:54 (3k) and had placed 22nd at the 2025 NXR Northwest meet, among other performances that indicated she would be a star in the years to come. And even despite respecting her talents, Capozzi has blown away our expectations as one of the top talents in the nation in each of her first three races in purple. At the Aldrich Invitational, Capozzi beat some of the top individual talents in the country, like Middlebury’s Audrey Maclean and Claire Palmer, placing 2nd only behind teammate Kate Tuttle. The next week, she safely won the Purple Valley XC Invitational over star teammates Tamar Byl and Morgan Eigel. Her Northeast dominance extended to Minnesota when she faced by far her greatest test at the Running of the Cows. Against some of the best teams and individuals in the country, the rookie finished runner-up, only falling to national title contender (and arguably even title favorite) Haley Schoenegge. In the process, Capozzi took the scalps of women who are far more experienced and have numerous All-American honors and red-hot personal bests to their name. Amidst a dream freshman season, Capozzi must be in the national title picture after beating numerous superstars over the past month. 3. Olivia Warr, Senior, Washington and Lee (+1 / 4) This two-time top-10 finisher at the cross country national meet looks poised to reach that status for the third year in a row. After a successful track season in which she found greater success over the longer distances, Olivia Warr has performed well in a pair of races on a challenging Virginia Tech course. Sure, she did not race any meaningful Division Three competition at either of those races, but they were encouraging measuring sticks of her current form. Unfortunately, a DNF at the Richmond Invitational leaves some smidge of lingering concern, although that is not something we are particularly focused on at this point. 2. Haley Schoenegge, Senior, Vassar (0 / 2) After being the cross country national meet runner-up in 2024, last fall looked like Haley Schoenegge’s time to shine and potentially take home the Division Three crown. However, her season last fall was not quite up to expectations. With a 2026 track season that blew us away, we figured that Schoenegge would be excellent this fall and match her 2024 heights. That could not have rung more true in her dominant win at Running of the Cows, where her mid-race surge paid off en route to a 10-second victory. In doing so, she comfortably beat six women who are ranked in our top-10. At this point, Schoenegge is in the national title picture as much as she ever has been. Truthfully, if you wanted to call her the favorite at this point, we would not argue with you. 1. Audrey MacLean, Senior, Middlebury (0 / 1) The first few weeks of the season have been revealing for the defending cross country national champion who spent the spring abroad. In her season opener at the Aldrich Invitational, Audrey MacLean settled for 3rd place behind Williams’ Kate Tuttle and Sophie Capozzi. And while it would have been ideal if Maclean pulled out the win, both members of that Williams duo are top-10 runners in the country. At the Maribel Sanchez Souther Invitational, MacLean (8th) stamped another solid performance amongst a Division One-dominated front pack. While at least one D3 woman has had a better 2026 cross country season than MacLean, we are giving her the respect that the defending national champion (by over 45 seconds) deserves. ADDED Sophie Capozzi (Williams) April Schilling (Connecticut College) Joley Berger (Ripon) Breanna Schmitt (George Fox) Ingrid Norquist (Macalester) Kiera Tallas (Connecticut College) Isla Duncan (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps) Sydney Shock (Johns Hopkins) KICKED OFF Jules Bleskoski (RPI) Mia Kotler (Johns Hopkins) Molly Heidorn (UW-Eau Claire) Molly Novotny (UW-La Crosse) Maya Ducker (Carnegie Mellon) Sadie Drucker (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps) Sofia Moukaddem (Suffolk) Liv Girand (MIT) JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Mia Kotler (Johns Hopkins) Molly Heidorn (UW-Eau Claire) Molly Novotny (UW-La Crosse) Sadie Drucker (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps) Sofia Moukaddem (Suffolk) Keelee Leitzen (Loras) Faith Wehrman (UW-Stevens Point) Kathryn Arbegast (RIT) Elise Kempf (Carnegie Mellon) Ananya Devpura (Carnegie Mellon) HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Maya Ducker (Carnegie Mellon) Liv Girand (MIT) Zoe Ward (Ohio Wesleyan) Madison Twarling (UW-La Crosse) Jocelyn Onstot (Rose-Hulman) Claudia Lasiowski (UW-Stout) Lily Simmonds (Tufts) Annelise Jensen (Middlebury) Chesnee Miller (Manchester) Delisha Davis (Dubuque) Ester Zar (Batten) Notes - Jules Bleskoski (preseason TSR #3) is no longer listed on RPI's roster. As such, she's been removed from our rankings.

The Stride Report is thrilled to announce that, for the third-straight year, we will be streaming this year's rendition of the Lewis XC Crossover! The stream will begin around 9:35 to 9:40am (CST) on Saturday, October 10th. The men's and women's races will begin at the following times... Men’s “Red” 8k @ 9:45 AM (CST) Women’s “Red” 6k @ 10:30 AM (CST) The stream, which can be found on our YouTube page, will feature live commentary. Photos will also be collected and a post-race album will be released next week. Social media coverage will also be provided via @thestridereport. The Lewis XC Crossover has evolved into one of the single-most competitive D2 cross country meets in the entire nation. Occasionally dubbed as the "D2 Nuttycombe," this year's field will once again be loaded with top-tier programs. Be sure to set a reminder for Saturday morning to tune into the stream on our YouTube channel! A big thank you to Coach James Kearney and John Kilpatrick for their assistance in making this possible.

Written by Sarah Turner & Garrett Zatlin Additional edits and commentary via Gavin Struve and Garrett Zatlin NOTE: These rankings are based on how an individual fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2026 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria (which was published in 2023). KEY (Unranked): Was not ranked in our last update. (#/#): First number indicates how much the athlete has moved in the rankings. The second number indicates where the athlete was ranked in our last update. 10. Winona State Warriors (0 / 10) This group has done exactly what was asked of them through the opening month of the season: prove that they can remain a top-end D2 program despite significant roster changes. The Warriors retain their preseason ranking after navigating the early portion of the year without two program-defining stars in Sophia Taruud and Kylie Anderson. They are also adjusting to a new era under first-year head coach Darin Shepardson. Their season-opening performance at the Augustana Twilight Invitational offered an encouraging glimpse of what this team can become. Winona State finished 3rd overall, trailing only Division One programs South Dakota and South Dakota State. Up front, Stella Rusch (2nd) and Kelsey Young (4th) looked every bit like a lethal 1-2 punch. Admittedly, larger gaps through the rest of the lineup suggested that there’s still room to tighten things up. Even so, Sabrina Lechnir (20th), Kelly McCarthy (35th), and Lexi Terwedo (47th) still came together well enough for an early-season race, showing that a solid foundation is clearly in place. The Warriors continued that trajectory at the Roy Griak Invitational. Facing a field loaded with Division One competition, Winona State finished 6th overall behind four D1 teams and perennial Division Three stalwart in UW-La Crosse. Rusch and Young once again delivered top-10 individual finishes, while all five scorers placed inside the top-100, highlighting that not much had changed. This roster may not possess the proven star power of last year's squad, but it has shown enough to remain firmly in the national conversation. More importantly, the Warriors have yet to add one of their most important pieces. NSIC Preseason XC Athlete of the Year Ella Voit has not raced this season while recovering from injury, and her eventual return could significantly raise the ceiling of this team. 9. Grand Valley State Lakers (-1 / 8) If there's one thing that's clear through the first month of the season, it's that Grand Valley State is no longer the dominant powerhouse that steamrolled their way to an NCAA team title a year ago. However, writing off the Lakers entirely because they look different would be a mistake. This team may not have the same firepower as its championship predecessor, but they still possesses enough talent to remain nationally competitive. The reality is that replacing a national title-winning lineup is never easy, especially when only three of the seven runners who competed at the 2025 NCAA XC Championships returned this fall. The Lakers opened the year with a victory at the Calvin Knight Invitational. However, the more revealing test came at the Joe Piane Invitational in South Bend, Indiana where Grand Valley State faced one of their strongest fields of the season. The Lakers finished 8th overall, four spots lower than their 4th place finish at the same meet a year ago, but context matters. Grand Valley State still held its own against a field loaded with Division One competition and finished ahead of several strong programs. Allie Arnsman led the way with a 31st place finish, while Annie Alkema (52nd) and Karen Kiratu (53rd) supplied valuable support. Sofia Borter (65th) and Cara Newman (66th) rounded out the scoring effort, giving the Lakers a solid, if not spectacular, team performance. That being said, GVSU needed more from Annika Sandman (81st) and especially Natalie Mello (111th). We expect they'll be better, but the start to this season hasn't been ideal. It's tempting to compare this roster directly to last year's national champions, but that comparison sets an almost impossible standard. This is a different team with different strengths, and the season is still young. What matters more is that the pieces are there. The Lakers have proven veterans, promising depth and an established culture that consistently develops runners as the season progresses. 8. Stanislaus State Warriors (Unranked) A strong opening month has earned Stanislaus State a spot in our top-10 after being left out of our preseason rankings. The Warriors announced themselves immediately with a runner-up finish at the San Francisco Invitational, trailing only the host program while defeating a Division One group in California Baptist by just five points, as well as California by 15 points. More importantly, they showed the kind of balance that wins championship meets. Stevie Holguin (6th), Annie Wild (12th) and Kekaihulali Halpern (15th) all finished inside the top-15, while Natalie Arriaza (24th) and Izzy Soto (28th) kept the scoring spread tight and effective. They followed that performance with a dominant victory at their home meet, putting all five scorers inside the top-10 and leaving little doubt about their early-season form. The emergence of Holguin (who won the latest race) and Halpern gives the Warriors additional unexpected firepower alongside Wild. The Warriors still have another opportunity to sharpen up before the championship season arrives, but they've already proven they're a legitimate factor in the West region. This will be a head-to-head race in Santa Clara against Chico State. If their trajectory continues, the Warriors could provide a real challenge to Chico State's grip on the CCAA title this November. 7. Chico State Wildcats (0 / 7) No Iresh Molina? No problem. If there were any questions about how Chico State would respond to the graduation of one of the program's all-time greats, the Wildcats answered them quickly. Chico State has only raced once this season, but the result was convincing enough to justify holding firm in our rankings. The Wildcats dominated the Saint Mary's Invitational, winning by 30 points over runner-up California and placing all five scorers inside the top-15. Della Molina made an immediate impact in her return to cross country after missing last fall with injury, leading the Wildcats with a 3rd place finish. Megan Malloy (6th) and Paulina Martins (7th) weren't far behind, while Sienna Bianchi (11th) and Catherine McGuire (12th) rounded out an exceptionally tight scoring group. The Wildcats now face their biggest test yet, traveling to Eugene this weekend to measure themselves against elite Division One competition. They'll also square off with fellow CCAA title contender, Stanislaus State, at the Bronco Invitational on October 17th. If Chico State performs well in those matchups, then the Wildcats will strengthen their case as one of the top teams in Division Two heading into December. 6. Western Colorado Mountaineers (0 / 6) Yes, the Mountaineers have only competed once this season, and yes, their competition wasn't close to the strongest that they'll face all year. But dominance is dominance, and Western Colorado delivered exactly the kind of performance you'd expect from a team with championship aspirations. At their home meet, the Mountaineers recorded a perfect score of 15 points, sweeping the top-15 positions of the race. And while cross country personal bests can be difficult to evaluate across different courses and conditions, Peyton Weiss turning in a 17:43 (5k) at altitude, while lowering her previous PR by 17 seconds, is the type of result that grabs attention. More importantly, Western Colorado's ranking isn't based solely on one September race. The Mountaineers return a proven core that has consistently performed at the conference, regional and national levels. Their opening performance simply reinforced what we already believed: Western Colorado has the talent to be a major factor this season. Now comes the real measuring stick. This weekend, the Mountaineers head to Rim Rock Farm for NCAA D2 Pre-Nationals, giving them an early look at the course that will host the national meet in December. 5. UC-Colorado Springs Mountain Lions (-1 / 4) Like Western Colorado, the UC-Colorado Springs women only sent their varsity squad to one race so far this season, using their home meet primarily as an early-season tune-up. Even so, those results reinforced what many already believed: this roster has unrivaled talent and depth. The Mountain Lions rolled to a 27-point team victory, placing all five scorers inside of the top-10. Kseniya Nikanorov set the tone with a runner-up finish, while Emma Montoya followed closely in 3rd place. Lida Padgett (7th) and Allie Grahn (8th) helped maintain a tight scoring pack. That was important because the Mountain Lions didn't get much help from their rising sophomore stars. Kate Henderson placed 9th and Elizabeth McQuitty didn't race. It was encouraging that UCCS ran as well as they did without needing perfect performances from two top runners. When Henderson is fully up to speed and the lineup settles into championship form, this team could look even stronger. Now comes the first real test: UCCS heads to Rim Rock Farm this weekend for NCAA D2 Pre-Nationals. There, the Mountain Lions will get the opportunity to measure themselves against many of the teams they'll be battling in December. 4. West Texas A&M Buffaloes (+1 / 5) We will admit, we weren't entirely sure what to expect from the West Texas A&M women entering the fall months. The Buffaloes had numerous low-stick-caliber names on their roster last year. However, without any responses from the coaching staff during the summer, it was challenging to figure out who was returning (and leaving) as well as which high-impact newcomers they were adding. Well, as it turns out, Abigail Abugire and Naomi Addo both returned, giving the West Texas A&M women two clear-cut low-sticks to lean on for the 2026 cross country season. The former recently took 4th place at the Louisville XC Classic while the latter name was 7th in that same field. However, it is the introduction of Lola Sarthou and Michelle Jemutai who give the Buffaloes a borderline overwhelming level of firepower to lean on this fall. Those two took 2nd place and 3rd place, respectively, at the Louisville XC Classic. And, despite the talented field, the West Texas A&M women simply dominated. Yes, it's true, there was a gap that formed to freshman Ella Schuettler who settled for 21st place. Even so, that is a fairly solid performance given the mass size of the "Gold" field that the Buffaloes were racing in. And for those wondering, the results of the Texas Tech Open were largely the same. The only difference, however, is that Adams State transfer Lea Navarro (10th) was far better in that race than she was in Louisville where she took 40th place. Put simply, there is clear upside with West Texas A&M's lineup this fall. If they all run well on the same day, then they can realistically challenge for the national title. However, for the time being, we're going to be slightly more cautious and tab them at TSR #4...for now. 3. Colorado Mines Orediggers (0 / 3) It's truthfully difficult to offer any substantial analysis with this team given that they, a) have only contested one small rust-buster so far this season, and b) didn't field any of their top women in that lone race. At the Roadrunners Invitational, a meet which was swept by the Colorado women, the Orediggers opted to only field their developmental pieces. Leading the way was Chloe Savoy (19th) and Maria Forster (20th) who had fine outings, but didn't necessarily change our opinion of this team in any significant way. Without seeing names like Emily LaMena, Sierra Wall, Katie Price, Callen Nash, Josie Mejia and maybe a key freshman or two, it's hard to think any differently about Colorado Mines right now. 2. Adams State Grizzlies (0 / 2) After sweeping their home meet, the Joe I. Vigil Open, the Adams State women toed the line for the dramatically more competitive Cowboy Jamboree. There, the Division Two powerhouse would face a number of top-tier Division One programs, as well as a slew lower division schools. Ultimately programs such as BYU, Oklahoma State, New Mexico, SMU and Oklahoma proved too much for Adams State to overcome as the Grizzlies settled for 6th place. However, it's important to realize that the Alamosa-based ladies did not have the reigning Division Two individual national champion, Tristian Spence, for this race. If they did, then a limited Oklahoma squad almost certainly falls to the Grizzlies. The good news for Adams State is that Mary Ngige (28th) and Emily Jobes (29th) look like All-American-caliber runners for the D2 level. Their lead scoring value was huge in that Cowboy Jamboree field. It was also encouraging to see Keira Damron (38th) within striking distance of that lead duo...well, placement-wise. Aspen Fulbright (49th) also held her own, although there was a somewhat noticeable drop to the team's fifth scorer who faded to 68th place in Stillwater, Oklahoma. And while that result isn't ideal, the presumed return of Spence ultimately negates that backend gap. It's admittedly hard to gauge D2 teams in a field made up of mostly D1 squads. Even so, we feel pretty confident in saying that the Adams State women are still realistic contenders for the team title this fall. 1. Wingate Bulldogs (0 / 1) We will admit, we were expecting to see a bit more out of the Wingate women in the "Gold" race at the Paul Short Run this past Friday. There, they settled for an underwhelming 8th place result in a field that was truthfully a bit limited. Now, in fairness to the Bulldogs, they didn't have low-stick ace Kiara Bester for this race. They also didn't have Firdaouss Hriche or Marie Garret, two steeplechase standouts who could absolutely be cross country All-Americans this fall. Plus, it's very clear that fellow low-stick Abigail Bester had an "off" day, falling well outside of the top-200 spots. Imane Jourji was also not at her best, either. That said, Jacqueline Sanchez (29th) was much better than expected and Evie Brooks (33rd) was plenty potent as well. With Karlijn Mesman (43rd) putting together a strong outing, the Wingate women looked plenty solid through three runners. Their fourth name, Riya Keshaw (56th), also had a respectable outing. Yes, there were a number of concerning developments with Wingate's race this past Friday. And frankly, we wouldn't blame anyone who wanted to drop the Bulldogs a singular spot in our rankings. However, when this team has both Bester sisters and a full lineup firing on all cylinders, then they will be extremely difficult to take down. For that reason, we'll keep them at TSR #1 spot. ADDED Stanislaus State Warriors KICKED OFF Pittsburg State Gorillas JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Pittsburg State Gorillas Missouri Southern Lions Lewis Flyers Lee (Tenn.) Flames Colorado Mesa Mavericks HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Cedarville Yellowjackets Edinboro Fighting Scots Black Hills State Yellow Jackets East Central Tigers Rogers State Hillcats Notes - N/A

Written by Gavin Struve, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin NOTE: These rankings are based on how an individual fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2026 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria (which was published in 2023). KEY (Unranked): Was not ranked in our last update. (#/#): First number indicates how much the athlete has moved in the rankings. The second number indicates where the athlete was ranked in our last update. 10. UC-Colorado Springs Mountain Lions (Unranked) We really haven't learned much about the UC-Colorado Springs men since the season started. However, the Mountain Lions looked plenty strong by dominating their home meet against in-state foes. Lead scoring veterans Brett Davis and Enzo Knapp led the way as expected, and the Mountain Lions finished with a team score of just 20 points. They'll be competing at the Lewis XC Crossover this weekend, where they'll be looking to prove in a loaded field that they didn't just move into our rankings because they haven't been tested yet. 9. Lee (Tenn.) Flames (+1 / 10) A runner-up finish at the Louisville Classic was well in line with expectations for Lee (Tenn.). The Flames finished comfortably behind West Texas A&M, but they actually had better firepower than the Buffaloes. Pierre Chauveau and Stephen Clark finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Projected lead scorer Tucker Wright placed 7th, solidifying the middle portion of the lineup before the final two scorers finished in 14th place and 21st place. Clark's result was the biggest development. He's a multi-time steeplechase All-American (and recent national champion in that event) who's been less reliable on the cross country course compared to the oval. That said, his emergence as a third low-stick star for the Flames raises both their floor and their ceiling. 8. Western Washington Vikings (-1 / 7) Even without projected lead scorer Jonah Billings, the Vikings had little trouble winning their home meet, the WWU Bill Roe Classic. Western Washington often has high floor because of their continuity and scoring depth, and that will almost certainly continue in the fall of 2026. Even so, they'll need Billings in order to be at their best. A major test awaits with the Lewis XC Crossover this weekend, but by already facing a handful of conference foes, WWU is better equipped than some other teams to take it on. 7. Chico State Wildcats (+1 / 8) While we have not yet seen the Chico State men square off against other top-end D2 teams, we did get to see them take down a handful of large Division One schools at the Saint Mary's Invitational last month. Led by Mario Giannini who took the individual win, the Wildcats were dominant, scoring 30 points while runner-up St. Mary's scored 82 points. Alijah Murillo broke the mold of freshmen redshirting at Chico State, making an immediate impact by placing 5th to serve as the Wildcats' second scorer. Not only that, but returnees Sergio Cuartas III and Alex Lamoureux placed 7th and 8th, respectively, while veteran Matthew Gordon (13th) rounded out the scoring. Together, those three men gave the Wildcats sturdy and dependable depth, a key quality of this team over the years. The Wildcats won't be tested against Division Two competition in a major way until the national meet. However, they're already off to a strong start in bouncing back from their first finish outside of the top-10 at the NCAA XC Championships since 1999. 6. Western Colorado Mountaineers (0 / 6) There wasn't much to take away from Western Colorado's opener, a small home meet that didn't even feature the Mountaineers' lead scorer, Oliver Diaz. Even so, it was reassuring to see Tyler Nord win the meet with ease, continuing to look more like his best self. Plus, the rest of the scorers packed relatively tightly together while all running 24:50 (8k XC) or faster at over 7700 feet of altitude. It's a long season, and we still need to see what their depth is going to look like, but the Mountaineers have given us no reason to doubt them right now. 5. Grand Valley State Lakers (-1 / 4) We've already seen the Lakers race twice this season, but only one result was truly illuminating. Against Division One competition at the Joe Piane Invitational, Flynn Pumpa excelled by placing 17th and leading the way for the Lakers. Fellow 2026 NCAA steeplechase All-American, Noah Selvaraj, finished in 22nd place for another auspicious outcome, but questions formed after home. After a very modest season-opening result, Conor Somers (preseason TSR #10) didn't race. Owen Westerkamp, another preseason contender for top-half All-American status, finished "only" in 36th place. It was a similar story for Báhozhóni Church (preseason TSR #13), who underwhelmed in 49th place. Fortunately for Grand Valley State, they had John Mabar (39th) and Will Engbers (47th) step up. Even so, the overall scoring potency of this lineup will simply need to be better moving forward if the Lakers intend to reach the podium come December. 4. West Texas A&M Buffaloes (+1 / 5) We knew that this would be a new-look West Texas A&M squad coming into the fall of 2026. However, we didn't know that the Buffaloes would display so much firepower at the very start of the season. Meshack Keter earned a runner-up finish at the Texas Tech Open, making a monster statement in his first collegiate race. Meanwhile, Merlijn Van Der Velden (7th), Miles Cox (9th), Vivien Delin (12th), Tommaso Toppi (13th) and Luca Minale (16th) were close by to comfortably lock down the team title. The Buffaloes were arguably even more impressive at the Louisville XC Classic, where we got a better gauge of them competing against high-end D2 competition. This time, their meet win came over the Lee (Tenn.) Flames. Keter won the individual meet title, while Van Der Velden, Diego Uribe Troncoso, Toppi, Minale and Delin all placed 13th or better. The season couldn't have started much better for the 'Buffs, who have simultaneously displayed firepower, depth and cohesion in relatively competitive early-season fields. It appears that Coach Zach Daniel's team not only reloaded in the offseason, but also improved. 3. Adams State Grizzlies (0 / 3) Adams State's stock also improved since the season started, even if the Grizzlies don't have the rankings boost to reflect it. That's because Coach Damon Martin's team took to the Cowboy Jamboree, where they lost only to Oklahoma State and New Mexico, two national title contenders. Thibault Tauziede (13th) and Jack Gumm (19th) thrived in the first meet of their second year at Adams State. Both offered an outstanding level of firepower that slightly beat expectations. Meanwhile, newcomers Sfiso Makolomakwa (25th), Chakib Cherkaoui Rhazouani (29th) and Soufyane Laaziz (33rd) offered a tremendous level of depth and stability. Considering that Joaquin Campos and Danyom Yosief -- the two highest-ranked Adams State runners entering this season -- didn't race at that meet, the Grizzlies' wealth of firepower should scare their Division Two peers. 2. Colorado Mines Orediggers (-1 / 1) Much like Adams State, the Colorado Mines men tested themselves against a Division One field last month. The Orediggers ventured to the Gans Creek Classic, finishing 4th overall to defeat the likes of Ole Miss, Missouri, Florida State and Colorado State, among others. Dawson Gunn (10th) led the way, while Ethan Grolnic (20th) and Braden Struhs (23rd) delivered supplementary firepower. That wasn't a surprise, but it also wasn't a given for either of those two men. Daniel Appleford (31st) was close behind, but a gap back to their fifth scorer formed with Cody Wyman (196th) struggling relative to expectations. That small concern was enough to knock the Orediggers from their preseason perch of TSR #1, a spot they received because of Grolnic's unexpected return. The Orediggers' opener was mostly successful, and they still have title-winning potential, but TSR's new top-ranked team hasn't shown the same scoring gaps. 1. Wingate Bulldogs (+1 / 2) With a mostly-new lineup, Wingate dominated the Paul Short Run "Gold" race. Texas Tech transfer Fikadu Gonzalez (7th), freshmen Ewen Guilmois (8th) and Yilan Jacquin (9th) were each outstanding at the front of the lineup, outdoing expected lead scorer Samuel Gilson (15th). Senior Niels Peeters (19th) and freshman Regan Tuck (25th) were also pleasant surprises. Sure, we knew the Bulldogs were going to have great upside and depth, but it looks like their firepower is far more potent than we realized. With Nate Mueller (preseason TSR #11) struggling in his first cross country race in nearly two years, and Arthur Faroux (preseason TSR #12) sitting out this season, Wingate had the potential to be even better. It might be a lot to ask of this mostly-inexperienced group to coalesce in the same way all season, but the Bulldogs passed their first challenge with aplomb. ADDED UC-Colorado Springs Mountain Lions KICKED OFF Colorado Christian Cougars JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Colorado Christian Cougars Charleston (WV) Golden Eagles Fort Lewis Skyhawks Lewis Flyers Saginaw Valley State Cardinals HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Nebraska-Kearney Lopers Anderson (SC) Trojans Embry-Riddle Eagles Washburn Ichabods Pittsburg State Gorillas Notes - N/A

Written by Kevin Fischer & Gavin Struve Additional edits and commentary via Gavin Struve and Garrett Zatlin NOTE: These rankings are based on how an individual fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2026 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria (which was published in 2023). KEY (Unranked): Was not ranked in our last update. (#/#): First number indicates how much the athlete has moved in the rankings. The second number indicates where the athlete was ranked in our last update. 10. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athenas (0 / 10) The biggest takeaway from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' first two meets of this season, which have put the Athenas up against D1 and D2 competition, was the emergence of freshman Isla Duncan. After a highly encouraging start to the season, the rookie distance star proved to be a very real immediate All-American threat this past weekend. At the Running of the Cows, Duncan by placed 13th overall in a loaded field. That was a crucial development for a relatively deep team that was devoid of any other star power. The Athenas placed 7th as a team in that field, closer to 9th place than 6th place in points. However, it's important to recognize that they didn't have projected lead scorer, Sadie Drucker, for that race. Drucker's presumed return should keep CMS as a top-10 team, and it feels too early in the season to drop the Athenas from our rankings. For now, the emergence of Duncan provides enough excitement to tide CMS fans over. 9. Washington & Lee Generals (-2 / 7) It's been hard to glean too much from Washington & Lee's first couple of meets, as the Generals haven't squared up against other top-tier D3 teams. Olivia Warr continues to look like one of the best runners in Division Three, but the absence of both Lydia Harvey and Reese Brown (the Generals' second and third scorers last year) is concerning enough for us to move them down in our team rankings. After all, much of our optimism about them is centered around their continuity. If the Generals don't have that, then there's only so much that Warr can do at the front of the lineup to mitigate excess scoring. 8. Carnegie Mellon Tartans (0 / 8) While Maya Ducker (preseason TSR #22) hasn't been super potent as a low-stick this fall, Ananya Devpura has been slightly better, and fellow returnee Elise Kempf has bested both at their first two meets. It's hard to gauge the Tartans against what has mostly been Division One competition. They were set to compete at the Paul Short Run (their race was cancelled), but we may have to wait until the UAA XC Championships later this month to get a greater idea of their potential. 7. Washington U. Bears (Unranked) After bringing a splash of firepower and strong enough support scoring to the biggest D3 field of the regular season, the Washington U. women are the biggest risers in our first team rankings update. Lucinda Laughlin is the Bears' only low-stick, but sophomore Sally Carrington (39th) and freshman Lucy Luetkemeyer (43rd) were very solid in fortifying the middle portion of their lineup at the Running of the Cows this past Saturday, helping their team finish 5th. It may be a lot to ask of those youngsters to consistently help mitigate the gap between Laughlin and the rest of their lineup. However, the Bears look like the second-best team in the UAA based on early returns. 6. Tufts Jumbos (-1 / 5) The Tufts women didn't have the firepower to contend with Williams and Middlebury at the front of the season-opening Aldrich Invitational. However, the Jumbos' depth stood out far more in the loaded Running of the Cows field, where they finished 4th overall. Sophomores Lily Simmonds (20th) and Zui Chinchalkar (23rd) were supported by senior Katya Henisz (27th) toward the front of the race. And while that trio of women didn't provide any true firepower, their collective effort still held great value. Having two freshmen -- Claire Palmer and Kajol Karra -- in the backend scoring spots could lead to some variability, but it also raises this youth-based team's upside. At any rate, Tufts delivered in their first major test of this season, and that's all that matters. Yes, we are dropping them one spot in our rankings, but that's more so due to the jump that we saw from UW-La Crosse than anything that they did wrong. 5. Middlebury Panthers (-1 / 4) Despite being soundly defeated by Williams at the season-opening Aldrich Invitational, Middlebury finished ahead of 3rd place Tufts in that field by a big enough margin to consider it a successful outing. It would have been a bit unfair to expect this squad to keep it close against an Ephs team that looks now to be the best in Division Three. That's why, all things considered, our assessment of them didn’t change much. The following week, the Panthers faced off against a primarily Division One field, again not telling us all that much. With that said, a promising development that keeps this team in podium contention is the progression of Annelise Jensen into a great third runner. With Audrey MacLean and Claire Palmer running just about as we expected them to, but a bit of a gap existing between them and the backend scorers, Jensen’s growth could be instrumental to her team’s success. 4. Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (-2 / 2) Even with Mia Kotler continuing to be out, we expected Johns Hopkins to challenge Williams a bit more at Carleton’s Running of the Cows. Carter Brotherton and Sydney Shock were excellent, but Natalie Boquist hasn’t been quite where we projected, and the backend scorers were outmatched by the impressive depth of UW-La Crosse. It didn’t help that Storrie Kulynych-Irvin was absent, but based on the data we have from the Virginia Invitational, it’s not a certainty that she would have dramatically impacted the team standings. This is still one of the best teams in the country. The 'Jays have certified star power with or without Kotler, and enough potential in their next group of scorers, including two really strong freshmen in Alexia Tubbs and Abby Artabane. If they can get clicking on all cylinders, then they could get a lot closer to teams like Williams and NYU in the coming weeks. 3. UW-La Crosse Eagles (+6 / 9) In the preseason, we noted that it seemed like there was a pretty big gap between the top-three teams and the next group fighting for the podium. Our evaluation of UW-La Crosse was that the Eagles were on the fringes of that next group. In their first competition against a strong Division Three field, at the Running of the Cows, the Eagles demonstrated that it’s possible to be nationally competitive without a flashy superstar. The Eagles were the first team in the field to have five runners finish, and only 14 seconds separated their five scorers from each other. Couple that with the Eagles producing five of the top-seven finishers in the less competitive "Maize" race, and their depth becomes something that is very scary to be reckoned with. They probably don’t have any top-half All-Americans on this squad, which will make it difficult to take the next step into NCAA title contention, but the UW-La Crosse women have already eclipsed what we thought their ceiling was. 2. NYU Violets (-1 / 1) The only time we have seen NYU’s full “A” team in action this fall was in August over 3000 meters. And truthfully, it didn’t seem like an all-out effort for much of the team. We would have learned something about the Violets at the Paul Short Run had their race not been canceled, but we will have to wait another couple of weeks to see how strong they truly are. 1. Williams Ephs (+2 / 3) The Ephs won the Running of the Cows by over 60 points after some solid races against smaller fields in September. While the victory was fairly unsurprising, we didn’t imagine the margin being as staggering as it was. We account for incoming freshman classes when putting together our preseason rankings, but we’re pretty cautious when doing so. Sometimes, though, a rookie comes along who not only makes an immediate impact, but becomes an immediate superstar. That’s what we’re looking at with Sophie Cappozzi, who finished runner-up behind Vassar's Haley Schoenegge on Saturday. Her presence has moved the needle enough to make Williams the clear NCAA team title favorite, at least in (most of) our eyes at The Stride Report. The scary part is that the Ephs can be even better. There was a bit of a gap between their fourth and fifth runners. However, if Jordan Liss-Riordan can access her best form, then that gap will close, and it will be very difficult for any other team to poke holes in this lineup. ADDED Washington U. Bears KICKED OFF Vassar Brewers JUST MISSED (in no particular order) MIT Engineers Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens U. of Chicago Maroons Emory Eagles Hope Flying Dutch HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Vassar Brewers UW-Eau Claire Blugolds Wesleyan Cardinals SUNY Geneseo Knights Bowdoin Polar Bears Notes - N/A

Written by Gavin Struve, additional edits and commentary via Garrett Zatlin NOTE: These rankings are based on how an individual fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2026 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria (which was published in 2023). KEY (Unranked): Was not ranked in our last update. (#/#): First number indicates how much the athlete has moved in the rankings. The second number indicates where the athlete was ranked in our last update. 10. Amherst Mammoths (-3 / 7) Amherst's well-rounded scoring lineup was on fully display at the Cardinal Invite. There, projected low-stick Harrison Dow placed 3rd, Carter Bengtson took 5th and Parker Boyle finished in 10th -- all of that was enough for the Mammoths to take home the team win. Of course, it helped to have Caleb Barnes (13th) and Ben Kasen (14th) near by and closing out the scoring relatively quickly. The Mammoths were then supposed to compete in the Paul Short Run, but much of that meet was canceled. As such, Amherst's demotion in our rankings is more due to other teams exceeding expectations. That said, our biggest concern of this squad is Stan Craig (TSR #14 in our preseason rankings) struggling in a 6k season opener a month ago and sitting out since then. 9. RPI Engineers (-1 / 8) The RPI men weren't expected to defeat SUNY Geneseo at the RPI Fairgrounds Showdown, but the door opened with the Knights' two stars struggling relative to expectations. It was only barely left ajar, though, as the Knights' support scorers stepped up while the Engineers couldn't take advantage, finishing runner-up. RPI produced another modest (but still solid) result at the Running of the Cows this past weekend. There, Colin Goldschmidt (17th) and Evan Lacey (20th) held their own, but both men could have finished a bit higher, and there was too big a gap to the rest of their scorers. As such, RPI earned a good-not-great 5th place result. On paper, the team had neither the firepower or depth for a higher finish. The silver lining is that Engineers have the ability to be better, as we know that Goldschmidt and Lacey have a proclivity for peaking in the postseason. 8. MIT Engineers (-4 / 4) At first glance, MIT's 7th place finish at the Running of the Cows seems somewhat alarming. And to a limited extent, it was. However, one of the Engineers' projected scorers, Dylan Fiegener, ran well in a different meet on the same day, winning the KSC Invitational. His presence in Northfield, Minnesota rather than Keene, New Hampshire could have vaulted the Engineers to as high as 4th place on Saturday. As for the MIT men who did run at the Running of the Cows, Renne Cooper (24th) was expected to be better and Yichen Sun (88th) had a very underwhelming day relative to expectations. That said, Owen Sondag (33rd) picked up some of the scoring responsibility. The Engineers have plenty of potential. However, they need all of their best men to be firing on all cylinders in order to live up to the podium prospects that we thought they had in our preseason rankings. 7. U. of Chicago Maroons (-1 / 6) While U. of Chicago raced twice ahead of the Joe Piane Invitational, we didn't really get a good gauge of the Maroons before they set foot in South Bend this past weekend. The problem was that they didn't have Grant Musick (who won their season opener) or Evan Parker (preseason TSR #17) in that latest outing. As such, it was admittedly hard to know what to make of the Maroons' 12th place finish in that field. Those absences -- and good-but-not-great starts from Parker and Sanju Patel (preseason TSR #13) -- make moving them down one spot seem justified. Fortunately, the Augustana Interregional Invitational and the UAA XC Championships later this month will offer a much better idea of what the Maroons are capable of. 6. UW-Stevens Point Pointers (+3 / 9) The Pointers' rise in our rankings can largely be attributed to their two focal stars excelling in the biggest D3 meet to date this season. On Saturday, the duo of Mateo Alvarado-Venegas and Logan Murphy finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively, at the Running of the Cows. And sure, we knew that both of those men were going to be low-sticks this fall, but we didn't expect them to be as wildly potent as they just were. That 1-2 punch shot the UW-Stevens Point men to 4th place in the team standings on Saturday despite the fact that they didn't have anyone else in the top-45. And now, for the first time this decade, UW-La Crosse may have a real challenger for the WIAC title. 5. UW-La Crosse Eagles (0 / 5) Speaking of the Eagles, they defeated the Pointers somewhat comfortably at the Running of the Cows (by 38 points). And if they add Chuck Vater (preseason TSR #8) to their lineup, they should all but lock up another conference crown. The competition between them and UW-Stevens Point may just be on paper (because of their proximity in our rankings), but the Pointers' performance should at least put them on UW-La Crosse's radar. As is, the Eagles' depth was impressive, with Owen Clark (12th) leading the way in Northfield. That came after UW-La Crosse also placed 3rd in the top section of the Roy Griak Invitational. Isaac Ewing (12th) showed the potential of giving UW-La Crosse another star alongside Clark, and Will Aurit (15th) emerged as a strong middle-lineup scorer, a role he also filled at the Running of the Cows. The Eagles have reloaded with ease after losing the majority of their 2025 core, and they could very well get back to the podium. 4. SUNY Geneseo Knights (-1 / 3) Even with Emerson Comer (6th) and Pierce Young (48th) struggling relative to expectations at the RPI Fairgrounds Showdown, the SUNY Geneseo men comfortably won that meet over our TSR #9 squad, RPI. Collin Brown (2nd), James Tette (5th), Owen Murphy (7th) and Thomas Blake (8th) all stepped up and helped deliver a strong team result in the Knights' only varsity race thus far this fall. Comer and Young struggling is enough for a one-spot demotion, but they're proven postseason performers, and the core around them looks strong. That duo will likely be better moving forward, and it's best not to overreact to their September-time results for now. 3. Wartburg Knights (+7 / 10) Our biggest preseason underestimation was placing Wartburg at TSR #10. On paper, it felt like a (very small) leap of faith to even include the Knights among the top-10 teams, considering that they returned only two members of their 2025 varsity lineup. Nonetheless, it's clear by now that these Knights simply reload every year under Coach Ryan Chapman. As such, they're ranked at the same spot that they finished in last fall. Isaiah Hammerand was favored to win the individual crown at the Running of the Cows, but just because we're not surprised that he did so doesn't mean that we're not impressed. Hammerand fulfilled his potential when several other top D3 men started the season relatively slowly. His teammates were the real story, though. Ayden Buchanan ran toward the front of the field and placed 8th, while Andrew Smith (27th), Solomon Zaugg (29th) and Evan Cook (45th) fortified the rest of the lineup. As such, Wartburg won the meet. So why are the Knights "only" ranked at TSR #3? Well, they likely would have finished runner-up had Johns Hopkins fielded Anthony Clark (preseason TSR #2). Plus, the next team in our rankings hasn't gotten the chance to defend their spot. 2. NYU Violets (0 / 2) NYU's first varsity effort was set to be at the Paul Short Run. However, the race's cancelation left the Violets in limbo. The one cause for concern before seeing them race is the fact that Theo Udelson-Nee (preseason TSR #3) wasn't listed in the Paul Short entries for this past weekend. NYU's other individual stars, Liam Hagerty and Alex Hrycyszyn, haven't raced either but were scheduled to. The Violets need Udelson-Nee moving forward in order to live up to their top-half podium team potential. Of course, without seeing any legitimate results yet this season, it's challenging to move the NYU men up or down at this point in our rankings. 1. Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (0 / 1) The Blue Jays' season opener, the Virginia Invitational, was a showcase of their firepower, even though their stars didn't finish in the order that we anticipated. In that setting, Brady Ott (13th), Caleb Tenney (15th) and Anthony Clark (17th) finished towards the front of that six-kilometer race. Meanwhile, underclassmen Connor Fanberg (30th), Cedar Nichols-Barnhart (31st) and Elliott Stout (35th) were solid as well. Johns Hopkins' firepower was even more impressive against elite D3 competition at the Running of the Cows this past weekend, even though Clark sat that one out. Ott (4th), Tenney (9th) and Nichols-Barnhart (16th) excelled, while Stout (28th) was excellent for a rookie. The near-40-point gap back to Fanberg led to the 'Jays finishing runner-up behind Wartburg. However, Clark's presence in that field likely would have had them winning easily. Assuming that Clark is healthy, and until we see NYU get to race (and exceed expectations), Johns Hopkins is a clear choice to remain our top-ranked men's team. ADDED N/A KICKED OFF N/A JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Washington & Lee Generals Carnegie Mellon Tartans Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens Washington U. Bears North Central Cardinals HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Tufts Jumbos Williams Ephs Central College Dutch Hope Flying Dutchmen Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen Notes - N/A