(Sioux City, Iowa) – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) has released their 2025 Preseason Women’s Cross Country Poll after a vote of the league coaches.
Dordt University, the defending women’s conference champion, is the preseason pick for 2025. The Defenders scored 18 points to claim the 2024 league title last fall, with Carinne Braun winning the individual championship in the GPAC.
College of Saint Mary was picked second in the preseason poll with 104 points and the final first place vote. Doane was picked third with 103, while Concordia and Northwestern rounded out the top-five on the women’s side.
The Raiders finished sixth at last year’s GPAC Championships with 147 points. Their top performance of 2024 came at the Mount Marty Invite, where they posted a season-best 54 points for a second-place finish. Among last year’s GPAC scorers, Northwestern returns Allie Hough, Macy Schroeder, Brielle Engelmann, and Brooklyn Fryar. Also returning to the roster is two-time NAIA Championships qualifier Emily DeGroot, who last competed in cross country in the 2023 season.
Below are the full results of the preseason coaches’ poll.
Place Team Points 1st Place Votes
1 Dordt Defenders 121 11
2 College of Saint Mary Flames 104 1
3 Doane Tigers 103
4 Concordia Bulldogs 93
5 Northwestern Red Raiders 78
6 Morningside Mustangs 74
7 Hastings Broncos 60
8 Midland Warriors 50
9 Mount Marty Lancers 44
10 Waldorf Warriors 32
11 Briar Cliff Chargers 17
12 Dakota Wesleyan 16
