The USTFCCCA releases their 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Just a day after being ranked No. 1 in the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the Florida Gators women’s cross country team was selected to finish ninth in the USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll.
Since its introduction in 1995, the Gators women’s team has been ranked in the preseason poll a total of nine times, the most recent occurring in 2013 when they were ranked twenty-third. This year’s ninth place ranking is the team’s highest in the preseason since 2010 when it was ranked eighth.
PRESEASON RANKINGS OVER THE YEARS
Year
Ranking
2013
23
2011
26
2010
8
2007
24
1999
24
1998
17
1997
17
1996
17
1995
17
Despite not competing at the NCAAA Championships as a team in 2022, with the existing experience within the program as well as the addition of transfers, the Gators look ahead to a strong 2023 campaign.
The only Gator to compete at NCAA Championships in 2022 was Parker Valby. The 2022 SEC Cross Country Women’s Runner of the Year finished second out of 253 runners. The Gators added three additional top-40 NCAA Championships runners via the transfer portal in Flomena Asekol, Amelia Mazza-Downie and Elise Thorner.
Asekol finished 14th at the meet, Mazza-Downie finished 22nd and Thorner finished 40th. Asekol contributed to a third-place finish by Alabama while Mazza-Downie and Thorner were part of a second place New Mexico finish.
2023 USTFCCCA NCAA DIVISION I CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL COACHES’ POLL
Rank
Team
Points
Region
Conference
2022 Final
1
NC State
329
Southeast (1)
ACC
1
2
Northern Arizona
315
Mountain (1)
Big Sky
6
3
Oklahoma State
300
Midwest (1)
Big 12
4
4
Notre Dame
273
Great lakes (1)
ACC
7
5
Colorado
269
Mountain (2)
Pac-12
11
6
North Carolina
266
Southeast (2)
ACC
5
7
BYU
257
Mountain (3)
Big 12
8
8
Stanford
242
West (1)
Pac-12
13
9
Florida
235
South (2)
SEC
—
10
Oregon
233
West (2)
Pac-12
14
T11
Georgetown
220
Mid-Atlantic (1)
Big East
10
T11
Virginia
220
Southeast (3)
ACC
9
13
Alabama
205
South (1)
SEC
3
13
Providence
193
Northeast (1)
Big East
16
14
Washington
185
West (3)
Pac-12
17
15
Ohio State
182
Great Lakes (2)
Big Ten
15
16
Michigan State
134
Great Lakes (3)
Big Ten
20
17
Wisconsin
122
Great Lakes (4)
Big Ten
19
18
Arkansas
121
South Central (1)
SEC
21
19
Oregon State
118
West (4)
Pac-12
24
20
New Mexico
112
Mountain (4)
Mountain West
2
21
Utah
79
Mountain (6)
Pac-12
12
22
Florida State
73
South (3)
ACC
18
23
California Baptist
68
West (5)
WAC
29
24
Michigan
67
Great Lakes (5)
Big Ten
22
25
Colorado State
56
Mountain (5)
Mountain West
25
26
Iowa State
55
Midwest (2)
Big 12
—
27
Toledo
48
Great Lakes (6)
Mid-American
28
28
West Virginia
44
Mid-Atlantic (2)
Big 12
27
T30
Furman
19
Southeast (5)
SoCon
—
T30
Syracuse
19
Northeast (4)
ACC
23
UPCOMING ACTION
The Gators begin their season Friday, September 15 at the Mountain Dew Invitational, hosted by the Gators. The 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships are set to take place on Saturday, November 18 in Charlottesville, Virginia. See the entire schedule for the 2023 Cross Country season below.
2023 FLORIDA CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE
Date
Meet
Location
9/15
Mountain Dew Invitational
Gainesville, Florida
9/29
FSU Invitational
Tallahassee, Florida
10/13
Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational
Madison, Wisconsin
10/27
SEC Championships
Columbia, South Carolina
11/10
NCAA South Regional
Gainesville, Florida
11/18
NCAA Championships
Charlottesville, Virginia
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