NEW ORLEANS, La.--- Following its fourth consecutive runner-up finish at the CCAA Championships, the Stan State women's cross country team moved up three positions to No. 10 nationally in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II national coaches' poll released Wednesday.

The Warriors, coached by Darren Holman, received 167 points in the latest poll, an increase of 22 points from the previous rankings. The No. 10 ranking is Stan State's highest of the 2026 season and marks the first time this year the Warriors have been ranked among the nation's top 10.

Stan State began the season ranked No. 12 in the preseason poll and has remained among the nation's top 15 throughout the fall. The Warriors previously reached No. 11 before spending two weeks at No. 14 and moving up to No. 13 in the Oct. 28 rankings.

National Rankings
Stan State remains the second-highest-ranked team from the West Region behind No. 5 Chico State. Biola is No. 16, followed by No. 22 Western Washington, No. 24 Cal Poly Pomona and No. 28 Central Washington.

The Warriors are one of three CCAA programs ranked among the nation's top 30, joining Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona.

Wingate received all eight first-place votes to move into the No. 1 position nationally with 240 points. Western Colorado climbed three spots to No. 2, followed by Adams State, Colorado School of Mines and Chico State.

Second in the West Region
Stan State also remains No. 2 in the latest USTFCCCA West Region rankings, a position the Warriors have held throughout the 2026 season.

Chico State continues to hold the top spot, followed by Stan State, Biola and Western Washington. Cal Poly Pomona moved up one position to fifth, followed by Central Washington, CUI, Western Oregon, Cal Poly Humboldt and Cal State San Marcos.

Stan State is one of five CCAA programs ranked among the region's top 10, joining Chico State, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly Humboldt and Cal State San Marcos.

Coming Off Runner-Up Finish
The Warriors 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. Stan State totaled 50 points in the 12-team field, finishing behind only nationally ranked Chico State, which captured the team title with 29 points.

Stevie Holguin led Stan State 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 the Warriors 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 runner-up finish marked Stan State's fourth consecutive second-place showing at the CCAA Championships and sixth straight top-two finish. The Warriors 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.

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

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 by 5 p.m. PT on 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.