FHSU Athletics
NEW ORLEANS - The Fort Hays State women's cross country team is ranked 25th in the latest USTFCCCA NCAA Division II National Coaches' Poll, released Wednesday by the coaches organization. The Tigers moved down two spots after finishing sixth at the Central Region Championships last weekend in Joplin, Mo.
Fort Hays State is the top-ranked team that did not earn a bid to the 2024 NCAA Division II Championships. The Tigers won three races during the regular season and did not finish behind a Division II school until the postseason when they suffered just seven head-to-head losses.
The Tigers earned 45 points in the voting process, 10 behind 24th-ranked Colorado Mesa. Adams State received all eight possible first-place votes and will enter the NCAA DII Championships as the favorite next Saturday (Nov. 23) in Sacramento, Calif.
While the Tigers were not chosen to compete as a team, Fort Hays State will still have representation at the national meet with junior Emily Diercks chosen to run as an individual thanks to her seventh-place finish at the regional championship.2024 was the first season the FHSU women's program was ranked in the national polls more than once during the regular season. The Tigers had been ranked prior to the national championships just once during the team's NCAA DII era (since 1991).