NEW ORLEANS, La.--- Following its fourth consecutive runner-up finish at the CCAA Championships, the Stan State women's cross country team remains No. 2 in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II West Region rankings released Tuesday.

The Warriors, coached by Darren Holman, have held the No. 2 position throughout the 2026 season, trailing only CCAA rival Chico State. Stan State is one of five CCAA programs ranked among the West Region's top 10.

Chico State remains No. 1 in the region, followed by Stan State, Biola and Western Washington. Cal Poly Pomona moved up one position to fifth, while Central Washington dropped one spot to sixth. CUI climbed two positions to seventh, followed by Western Oregon in eighth. Cal Poly Humboldt and Cal State San Marcos entered the rankings at ninth and 10th, respectively.

Coming Off Runner-Up Finish
Stan State placed second at the 2026 CCAA Cross Country Championships presented by Pollo Campero on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the CSUSB Cross Country Course in San Bernardino. The Warriors totaled 50 points in the 12-team field, finishing behind only nationally ranked No. 4 Chico State, which captured the team championship with 29 points.
Stevie Holguin led the Warriors with a fifth-place finish in the women's 6K race, clocking 20:46.3. Kekaihulali Halpern followed in sixth (20:49.7), while Annie Wild finished seventh (20:57.2), giving Stan State three runners among the top seven.

Freshman Natalie Arriaza placed 14th in 21:10.2, while Izzy Soto rounded out the scoring five in 18th (21:24.7).

The Warriors' runner-up finish marked their fourth consecutive second-place showing at the CCAA Championships and sixth straight top-two finish. Stan State captured back-to-back conference titles in 2021 and 2022 before finishing second in each of the past four championships.

CCAA Individual Honors
Stan State had four runners earn All-CCAA recognition with top-15 finishes at the conference championships. Holguin, Halpern, Wild and Arriaza each earned all-conference honors, with Wild collecting her fourth consecutive selection.
Arriaza was named the CCAA Freshman of the Year, becoming the fourth Warrior to receive the award. Halpern earned CCAA Newcomer of the Year recognition, also becoming the fourth Stan State runner to receive the honor.

Sophomore Aubrey Lascano received the CCAA Elite 13 Award, recognizing academic excellence among student-athletes competing at CCAA championship events.

The four All-CCAA selections bring Stan State's total to 49 since 2001, according to conference records.

National Rankings
Stan State entered the week ranked No. 13 nationally in the USTFCCCA NCAA Division II women's cross country coaches' poll. The Warriors have remained among the nation's top 15 throughout the season, beginning at No. 12 in the preseason rankings and climbing as high as No. 11.
Chico State is the highest-ranked West Region team nationally at No. 4, followed by Stan State at No. 13, Biola at No. 15, Western Washington at No. 23, Central Washington at No. 26 and Cal Poly Pomona at No. 29.

The next national coaches' poll is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Rankings Schedule
The remaining USTFCCCA West Region rankings are scheduled for Nov. 25, with the final regional rankings set for Dec. 4. The remaining national coaches' polls are scheduled for Nov. 11 and Nov. 26, with the final national poll set for Dec. 5.

Up Next
Stan State will compete at the NCAA Division II West Regional on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Arcade Creek Cross Country Course in Sacramento. The women's 6K race is scheduled for 10:15 a.m.

The top three teams at each NCAA Division II regional championship automatically qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships, with an additional 10 teams selected at-large nationwide. Individuals from nonqualifying teams can also advance based on their regional finishes.

The complete championship field will be announced Monday, Nov. 23, on NCAA.com. The NCAA Division II National Championship is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas.