# NCAA Division I women's cross country championships

The NCAA Division I women's cross country championships are contested at an annual meet hosted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to determine the individual and team national champions of women's collegiate cross country running among its Division I members in the United States. The championships have been every year since 1981, except for 2020.
Teams and individual runners qualify for the championship at regional competitions approximately a week before the national championships.
Villanova have been the most successful program, with nine team and nine individual titles.
BYU are the reigning national champions, winning their sixth title in 2024.

## Qualifying

Teams compete in one of nine regional championships to qualify. The top two teams automatically advance, and 13 additional teams are chosen as at-large selections. In addition to the 31 teams, 38 individual runners qualify for the national championship.

## History

The Division I national championship race included 13 teams in 1981, 16 teams from 1982 to 1988 and 22 teams from 1989 to 1997. Beginning in 1998, the national championship race has included 31 teams.
The race distance from 1981 to 1999 was 5,000 meters (3.1 miles). Since 2000 the race distance has been 6,000 meters (3.7 miles).
Cross country was one of twelve women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981–82 school year, as the NCAA engaged in battle with the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women for sole governance of women's collegiate sports. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championship program in the same twelve (and other) sports; however, after a year of dual women's championships, the NCAA conquered the AIAW and usurped its authority and membership.
Villanova has won more NCAA Division I women's titles (9) than any other school, followed by BYU with 6. BYU and North Carolina State have competed in the most NCAA Division I women's championships (25). Villanova has had the most individual NCAA Division I women's cross country champions (9).

## Results

The championship race distance was 5,000 meters from 1981 to 1999, and has been 6,000 meters since the 2000 race.
NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship :
| Year | Host City (Host Team) | Team Championship | Team Championship | Team Championship | Team Championship | Individual Championship | Individual Championship |
| Year | Host City (Host Team) | Winner | Points | Runner-up | Points | Winner (Team) | Time |
| 1981 Details | Wichita, KS (Wichita State) | Virginia | 36 | Oregon | 81 | Betty Jo Springs (NC State) | 16:19.0 |
| 1982 Details | Bloomington, IN (Indiana) | Virginia | 48 | Stanford | 91 | Lesley Welch (Virginia) | 16:39.7 |
| 1983 Details | Bethlehem, PA (Lehigh) | Oregon | 95 | Stanford | 98 | Betty Jo Springs (NC State) | 16:30.7 |
| 1984 Details | State College, PA (Penn State) | Wisconsin | 63 | Stanford | 89 | Cathy Branta (Wisconsin) | 16:15.6 |
| 1985 Details | Milwaukee, WI (Marquette) | Wisconsin | 58 | Iowa State | 98 | Suzie Tuffey (NC State) | 16:22.53 |
| 1986 Details | Tucson, AZ (Arizona) | Texas | 62 | Wisconsin | 64 | Angela Chalmers (Northern Arizona) | 16:55.49 |
| 1987 Details | Charlottesville, VA (Virginia) | Oregon | 97 | NC State | 99 | Kimberly Betz (Indiana) | 16:10.85 |
| 1988 Details | Ames, IA (Iowa State) | Kentucky | 75 | Oregon | 128 | Michelle Dekkers (Indiana) | 16:30.00 |
| 1989 Details | Annapolis, MD (Navy) | Villanova | 99 | Kentucky | 168 | Vicki Huber (Villanova) | 15:59.86† |
| 1990 Details | Knoxville, TN (Tennessee) | Villanova | 82 | Providence | 172 | Sonia O'Sullivan (Villanova) | 16:06.00 |
| 1991 Details | Tucson, AZ (Arizona) | Villanova | 85 | Arkansas | 168 | Sonia O'Sullivan (Villanova) | 16:30.3 |
| 1992 Details | Bloomington, IN (Indiana) | Villanova | 123 | Arkansas | 130 | Carole Zajac (Villanova) | 17:01.9 |
| 1993 Details | Bethlehem, PA (Lehigh) | Villanova | 66 | Arkansas | 71 | Carole Zajac (Villanova) | 16:40.3 |
| 1994 Details | Fayetteville, AR (Arkansas) | Villanova | 75 | Michigan | 108 | Jennifer Rhines (Villanova) | 16:31.2 |
| 1995 Details | Ames, IA (Iowa State) | Providence | 88 | Colorado | 123 | Kathy Butler (Wisconsin) | 16:51 |
| 1996 Details | Tucson, AZ (Arizona) | Stanford | 101 | Villanova | 106 | Amy Skieresz (Arizona) | 17:04 |
| 1997 Details | Greenville, SC (Furman) | BYU | 100 | Stanford | 102 | Carrie Tollefson (Villanova) | 16:29 |
| 1998 Details | Lawrence, KS (Kansas) | Villanova | 106 | BYU | 110 | Katie McGregor (Michigan) | 16:47.21 |
| 1999 Details | Bloomington, IN (Indiana) | BYU | 72 | Arkansas | 125 | Erica Palmer (Wisconsin) | 16:39.5 |
| 2000 Details | Ames, IA (Iowa State) | Colorado | 117 | BYU | 167 | Kara Grgas-Wheeler (Colorado) | 20:30.5 |
| 2001 Details | Greenville, SC (Furman) | BYU | 62 | NC State | 148 | Tara Chaplin (Arizona) | 20:24 |
| 2002 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | BYU | 85 | Stanford | 113 | Shalane Flanagan (North Carolina) | 19:36.0 |
| 2003 Details | Cedar Falls, IA (Northern Iowa) | Stanford | 120 | BYU | 128 | Shalane Flanagan (North Carolina) | 19:30.4 |
| 2004 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | Colorado | 63 | Duke | 144 | Kim Smith (Providence) | 20:08.5 |
| 2005 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | Stanford | 146 | Colorado | 181 | Johanna Nilsson (Northern Arizona) | 19:33.9 |
| 2006 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | Stanford | 195 | Colorado | 223 | Sally Kipyego (Texas Tech) | 20:11.1 |
| 2007 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | Stanford | 145 | Oregon | 177 | Sally Kipyego (Texas Tech) | 19:30.9 |
| 2008 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | Washington | 79 | Oregon | 131 | Sally Kipyego (Texas Tech) | 19:28.1 |
| 2009 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | Villanova | 86 | Florida State | 133 | Angela Bizzarri (Illinois) | 19:46.8 |
| 2010 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | Villanova | 120 | Florida State | 154 | Sheila Reid (Villanova) | 20:06.9 |
| 2011 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | Georgetown | 162 | Washington | 170 | Sheila Reid (Villanova) | 19:41.2 |
| 2012 Details | Louisville, KY (Louisville) | Oregon | 114 | Providence | 183 | Betsy Saina (Iowa State) | 19:27.9 |
| 2013 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | Providence | 141 | Arizona | 197 | Abbey D'Agostino (Dartmouth) | 20:00.3 |
| 2014 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | Michigan State | 85 | Iowa State | 147 | Kate Avery (Iona) | 19:31.6 |
| 2015 Details | Louisville, KY (Louisville) | New Mexico | 49 | Colorado | 129 | Molly Seidel (Notre Dame) | 19:28.6 |
| 2016 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | Oregon | 125 | Michigan | 126 | Karissa Schweizer (Missouri) | 19:41.7 |
| 2017 Details | Louisville, KY (Louisville) | New Mexico | 90 | San Francisco | 105 | Ednah Kurgat (New Mexico) | 19:19.42 |
| 2018 Details | Madison, WI (Wisconsin) | Colorado | 65 | New Mexico | 103 | Dani Jones (Colorado) | 19:42.8 |
| 2019 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | Arkansas | 96 | BYU | 102 | Weini Kelati (New Mexico) | 19:47.5 |
| 2020 Details | Stillwater, OK (Oklahoma State) | BYU | 96 | NC State | 161 | Mercy Chelangat Alabama | 20:01.1 |
| 2021 Details | Tallahassee, FL (Florida State) | NC State | 84 | BYU | 122 | Whittni Orton (BYU) | 19:25.4 |
| 2022 Details | Stillwater, OK (Oklahoma State) | NC State | 114 | New Mexico | 140 | Katelyn Tuohy (NC State) | 19:27.7 |
| 2023 Details | Charlottesville, VA (Virginia) | NC State | 123 | Northern Arizona | 124 | Parker Valby (Florida) | 18:55.2† |
| 2024 Details | Madison, WI (Wisconsin) | BYU | 147 | West Virginia | 164 | Doris Lemngole (Alabama) | 19:21.0 |
| 2025 Details | Columbia, MO (Missouri) | | | | | | |
| 2026 Details | Terre Haute, IN (Indiana State) | | | | | | |
| 2027 Details | Stillwater, OK (Oklahoma State) | | | | | | |
* A time highlighted in ██ indicates an NCAA championship event record time for that distance at the time.
* A † indicates the all-time NCAA championship event record for that distance.

## Champions
### Team titles

* List updated through the 2024 Championships.
| Team | Titles | Year Won |
| Villanova | 9 | 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2009, 2010 |
| BYU | 6 | 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2020, 2024 |
| Stanford | 5 | 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 |
| Oregon | 4 | 1983, 1987, 2012, 2016 |
| NC State | 3 | 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Colorado | 3 | 2000, 2004, 2018 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 2015, 2017 |
| Providence | 2 | 1995, 2013 |
| Virginia | 2 | 1981, 1982 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 1984, 1985 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 2019 |
| Georgetown | 1 | 2011 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 1988 |
| Michigan State | 1 | 2014 |
| Texas | 1 | 1986 |
| Washington | 1 | 2008 |

### Individual titles

* List updated through the 2024 Championships.
| Team | Titles | Year won |
| Villanova | 9 | 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2010, 2011 |
| NC State | 4 | 1981, 1983, 1985, 2022 |
| Texas Tech | 3 | 2006, 2007, 2008 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 1984, 1995, 1999 |
| Alabama | 2 | 2020, 2024 |
| Arizona | 2 | 1996, 2001 |
| Colorado | 2 | 2000, 2018, |
| Indiana | 2 | 1987, 1988 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 2017, 2019 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 2002, 2003 |
| Northern Arizona | 2 | 1986, 2005 |
| BYU | 1 | 2021 |
| Dartmouth | 1 | 2013 |
| Florida | 1 | 2023 |
| Illinois | 1 | 2009 |
| Iona | 1 | 2014 |
| Iowa State | 1 | 2012 |
| Michigan | 1 | 1998 |
| Missouri | 1 | 2016 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 2015 |
| Providence | 1 | 2004 |
| Virginia | 1 | 1982 |

## Appearances

* List updated through the 2014 Championships.

### Most team appearances

| Rank | Team | Appearances |
| 1 | NC State | 28 |
| 2 | Arkansas BYU Stanford | 27 |
| 3 | Georgetown Michigan Oregon Villanova Wisconsin | 26 |
| 4 | Providence | 25 |
| 5 | Colorado | 24 |
| 6 | Washington | 21 |
| 7 | Boston College Minnesota Penn State | 18 |
| 8 | Arizona Michigan State | 16 |
| 9 | Baylor Northern Arizona North Carolina | 15 |
| 10 | Nebraska Virginia | 14 |

## Records

* Best Team Score: 35
** Virginia (1981; Eileen O'Connor–3, Lesley Welch–4, Lisa Welch–6, Jill Haworth–8, Marisa Schmitt–15)
* Most Individual Titles: 3 (tie)
** Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech (2006, 2007, and 2008)
* Best Individual Time, 5,000 meters: 15:59.86
** Vicki Huber, Villanova (1989)
* Best Individual Time, 6,000 meters: 18:55.2
** Parker Valby, Florida (2023)