NEW ORLEANS, La. – The St. Olaf College women's cross country team was ranked No. 17 in the preseason NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country National Coaches' Poll, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Wednesday afternoon.

Coming off a 17th-place national finish last fall, St. Olaf held down that same spot in the preseason balloting a day after being ranked No. 2 in the North Region by the USTFCCCA. Wednesday's polls marked the sixth consecutive season – excluding the canceled 2020 season – that the Oles were ranked in the preseason USTFCCCA poll and the program's 14th preseason national ranking since 2006.

St. Olaf has now been ranked in 39 consecutive USTFCCCA national polls dating back to late in the 2019 season, which is the second-longest stretch in program history. Head coach Erica Maker's team returns four of its top six finishers from last season's NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, including three 2024 all-region performers in rising seniors Grace Moeller, Lauren Walda, and Isabel Wyatt.

The Oles will open their season on their home course on Friday, Aug. 29 at the Ole 5K Opener. The women's race will begin at 6:30 p.m. following the men's race.