The NCAA Division II women's cross country championships are contested at an annual meet hosted by the NCAA to determine the team and individual national champions of women's collegiate cross country running among its Division II members in the United States and Canada.
The championships have been held every November since the NCAA began sponsoring women's sports in 1981 and are now held at the same time and location as the NCAA Division II men's cross country championships.
Adams State have been the most successful program, with 21 national titles.
The defending national teams champions are Grand Valley State, who won their eighth national title in 2025 in this sport.
Tristian Spence, representing Adams State, is the reigning individual champion.
Format The race field included 8 teams in 1981, 11 teams from 1982 to 1992 and 17 teams from 1993 to 1999. Beginning in 2000, the national championship race has included 24 teams. Teams compete in one of eight regional championships to qualify. In addition to the 24 teams, 16 individual runners qualify for the national championship.2010 Division II Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships Handbook. NCAA. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
Results The race distance was 5,000 meters (5 kilometers) from 1981 to 1997 and 6,000 meters (6 kilometers) from 1997 to the present.
NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country ChampionshipYear Site(Host Team)Championship ResultsIndividual ChampionshipChampionPointsRunner-upPointsWinner(Team)Time1981DetailsCape Girardeau, MO(Southeast Missouri State)South Dakota State26Cal Poly49Eileen Kraemer(Cal Poly)17:41.00†1982DetailsSt. Cloud, MN(St. Cloud State)Cal Poly32South Dakota State45Amy Harper(Cal Poly)21:13.601983DetailsSomers, WI(Wisconsin–Parkside)Cal Poly (2)48Holy Cross9217:10.00†1984DetailsClinton, MS(Mississippi College)Cal Poly (3)32South Dakota State107Christine Ridenour(Southeast Missouri State)16:53.20†1985DetailsEast Stroudsburg, PA(East Stroudsburg)Cal Poly (4)30Cal State Northridge86Bente Moe(Seattle Pacific)17:42.201986DetailsRiverside, CA(UC Riverside)Cal Poly (5)3993Gladees Prieur(Cal Poly)16:43.001987DetailsEvansville, IN(Southern Indiana)Cal Poly (6)53Cal State Los Angeles84Sylvia Mosqueda(Cal State Los Angeles)16:57.001988DetailsClinton, MS(Mississippi College)Cal Poly (7)49Air Force51Laura Byrne(Southeast Missouri State)16:56.801989DetailsEast Stroudsburg, PA(East Stroudsburg)Cal Poly (8)3467Darcy Arreola(Cal State Northridge)17:14.201990DetailsArcata, CA(Humboldt State)Cal Poly (9)6178Callie Calhoun(Air Force)16:56.601991DetailsEdwardsville, IL(SIU Edwardsville)Cal Poly (10)60UC Davis93Christie Allen(Pittsburg State)18:04.001992DetailsSlippery Rock, PA(Slippery Rock)Adams State64Western State Colorado9918:18.001993DetailsRiverside, CA(UC Riverside)Adams State (2)75Cal Poly106Elva Dryer(Western State)17:34.401994DetailsKearney, NE(Nebraska–Kearney)Adams State (3)47Western State Colorado5517:20.901995DetailsSpartanburg, SC(USC Spartanburg)Adams State (4)62Abilene Christian143Tumaini Urio(Western State)16:54.851996DetailsArcata, CA(Humboldt State)Adams State (5)35Western State Colorado94Denise Summers(Adams State)17:46.801997DetailsSomers, WI(Wisconsin–Parkside)Adams State (6)37LewisWestern State Colorado106Kasia Arient(Lewis)17:31.20The race distance changes from 5 kilometers to 6 kilometers1998DetailsLawrence, KS(Kansas)Adams State (7)56Western State Colorado79Kimberly Bugg(Adams State)21:43.00†1999DetailsJoplin, MO(Missouri Southern State)Adams State (8)2347 Marjo Venalainen(Kennesaw State)20:48.20†2000DetailsPomona, CA(Cal Poly Pomona)Western State Colorado38North Dakota13121:33.602001DetailsSlippery Rock, PA(Slippery Rock)Western State Colorado (2)46Adams State55Hannah Lawrence(Western State)21:24.702002DetailsAshland, OH(Cal Poly Pomona)Western State Colorado (3)4346Amber Klein(Adams State)20:54.502003DetailsCary, NCAdams State (9)38Western State Colorado101Chelsea Smith(BYU Hawaii)20:33.90†2004DetailsEvansville, IN(Southern Indiana)Adams State (10)31Edinboro10121:33.002005DetailsPomona, CA(Cal Poly Pomona)Adams State (11)54Grand Valley State69Mandi Zemba(Grand Valley State)21:01.702006DetailsPensacola, FLAdams State (12)94Western State Colorado101Esther Komen(Western State)20:09.40†2007DetailsJoplin, MO(Missouri Southern State)Adams State (13)63Seattle Pacific178Jessica Pixler(Seattle Pacific)20:29.102008DetailsSlippery Rock, PA(Slippery Rock)Adams State (14)79Grand Valley State10220:59.002009DetailsEvansville, IN(Southern Indiana)Adams State (15)738120:22.602010DetailsLouisville, KY(Bellarmine)Grand Valley State66Western State Colorado95Neely Spence(Shippensburg)20:41.202011DetailsSpokane, WAAugustana (SD)757920:53.802012DetailsJoplin, MO(Missouri Southern State)Grand Valley State (2)101Augustana (SD)104Alicia Nelson(Adams State)20:03.302013DetailsSpokane, WAGrand Valley State (3)54Adams State91Jennifer Agnew(Mary)20:50.702014DetailsLouisville, KY(Bellarmine)Grand Valley State (4)50Hillsdale115Kendra Foley(Grand Valley State)21:05.802015DetailsJoplin, MO(Missouri Southern State)Adams State (16)83 Grand Valley State 97 Alexis Zeis(U-Mary) 20:03.42016DetailsTampa, FL(Saint Leo)Grand Valley State (5)116 Adams State 139Kendra Foley(Grand Valley State) 20:01.82017DetailsEvansville, IN(Southern Indiana)Adams State (17)126Mary (ND)137Caroline Kurgat(Alaska Anchorage) 20:32.32018Details Pittsburgh, PA(Clarion) Grand Valley State (6) 41 Mary (ND) 83 Sarah Berger(Grand Valley State) 22:07.72019DetailsSacramento, CA(CSU, Sacramento)Adams State (18)23 Grand Valley State87 Stephanie Cotter(Adams State)19:15.52020Evansville, IN(Southern Indiana)Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States2021DetailsTampa, FLAdams State (19)59Grand Valley State79Hannah Becker(Grand Valley State)20:22.02022DetailsSeattle, WA(Seattle Pacific)Adams State (20)75Grand Valley State126Stephanie Cotter(Adams State)19:45.22023DetailsJoplin, MO(Missouri Southern State) Grand Valley State (7) 59Adams State86Lindsay Cunningham(Winona State)19:30.12024DetailsSacramento, CAAdams State (21)61West Texas A&M127Lauren Kiley(Grand Valley State)20:28.52025DetailsKenosha, WI(Wisconsin–Parkside)Grand Valley State (8)65Colorado Mines69Tristian Spence(Adams State)20:11.02026Lawrence, KS2027 Huntsville, AL A † indicates a then-NCAA record-setting time for that particular distance. A time highlighted in ██ indicates the all-time NCAA championship record for that distance.
Champions
Team titles SchoolTitlesYears 211992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024 8 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2023, 2025 3 2000, 2001, 2002 1 2011
Former programs SchoolTitlesYears 101982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 1 1981
Schools in italics reclassified athletics from NCAA Division II.
See also NCAA Women's Cross Country Championships (Division I, Division III) NCAA Men's Cross Country Championships (Division I, Division II, Division III) AIAW Intercollegiate Women's Cross Country Champions NAIA Cross Country Championships (Men, Women)
References
External links NCAA Women's Division II Cross Country