By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 42nd NCAA Division 1 women’s cross country final is scheduled for Nov. 19 at the Greiner Family Course in Stillwater, Okla.

Here are 10 storylines to follow at the championship meet, hosted by Oklahoma State for the second time after being contested in March 2021:

Wolfpack has sights set again on back-to-back titles

North Carolina State is adding to its Division 1 women’s record with its 36th all-time appearance at the NCAA championship meet, but the Wolfpack is also attempting to join elite company by achieving consecutive titles.

Villanova was the last women’s program to win back-to-back crowns in 2009-10, and the Wildcats are one of five schools in Division 1 championship history to repeat, along with Brigham Young, Stanford, Virginia and Wisconsin.

North Carolina State made its first NCAA finals appearance in 1981 in Kansas, following back-to-back AIAW championships in 1979-80.

If the Wolfpack can prevail, then North Carolina State would become the only program in history to win consecutive AIAW titles and back-to-back NCAA crowns.

The Wolfpack placed second in March 2021 at the Greiner Family Course in Stillwater, with Brigham Young prevailing against North Carolina State with a 96-161 victory.

North Carolina State returns All-Americans Katelyn Tuohy, Kelsey Chmiel and Sam Bush from last year’s championship lineup that triumphed by an 84-122 margin against Brigham Young at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.

Consistency counts for New Mexico

Although New Mexico is best known for its streak of 15 straight Mountain West Conference women’s team championships, the Lobos are enjoying another run of excellence that is also unmatched by any other program nationally.

New Mexico has placed in the top 10 at 12 consecutive NCAA finals, beginning with a fifth-place performance in Indiana and including championships in 2015 and 2017, both in Kentucky.

The Lobos have achieved six podium finishes during that stretch, including a third-place effort last season in Florida.

New Mexico secured sixth at the March 2021 final at the Greiner Family Course in Stillwater.

The Lobos return All-Americans Emma Heckel and Gracelyn Larkin from last year’s lineup in Tallahassee.

Colorado boasts the next longest streak with nine straight top-10 finishes, including a title in 2018 in Wisconsin.

Stanford has placed in the top six for seven consecutive years following a 14th-place performance in 2014.

Brigham Young is the only other women’s program in the country with at least four straight top-10 results, including the lone team with three consecutive podium finishes, including its championship performance last year at Oklahoma State.

No better time than the present

Oklahoma State, which has never achieved higher than fifth place in 1989 in the Division 1 women’s final in Maryland, can achieve a timely breakthrough with its first podium finish in program history at the Greiner Family Course.

Taylor Roe, who secured second place in March 2021 in Stillwater and finished fifth last season in Tallahassee, is the only returning All-American for Oklahoma State, looking to elevate from a 13th-place performance at Apalachee Regional Park.

The presence of freshmen Natalie Cook and Billah Jepkirui, along with the improvement of Gabby Hentemann and Gabija Galvydyte, have provided Oklahoma State the depth to challenge for a podium finish and possibly compete for a national title.

Alabama is another program looking to secure a trophy for the first time by ascending into the top four, especially after earning eighth at the March 2021 final in Stillwater, with Mercy Chelangat capturing the individual title.

The Crimson Tide have never finished higher than sixth in 1987 in Virginia, but Alabama returns All-Americans Flomena Asekol and Chelangat from last year in Florida, as well as third-place finisher Amaris Tyynismaa from the March 2021 championship race.

Utah is making its fifth NCAA finals appearance in program history and is still seeking its first top-10 result, but does have the potential to achieve a podium finish. The Utes took 16th at the 2019 championship meet in Terre Haute, Ind.

Emily Venters leads Utah, which tied Northern Arizona for second place Nov. 11 at the Division 1 Mountain Regional in Albuquerque.

Although Northern Arizona and Notre Dame have previously achieved podium finishes at the NCAA championship meet, both teams are looking to end long droughts without a trophy.

Northern Arizona, led by Elise Stearns, was third in 1991 in Tucson, with Notre Dame placing third in 2002 in Terre Haute and fourth in 2004, also at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course.

Olivia Markezich captured the Great Lakes regional individual crown to lead Notre Dame.

Tuohy looking to take home two titles

Katelyn Tuohy helped North Carolina State capture the NCAA women’s team championship last year at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.

She also won the 5,000-meter crown at the Division 1 outdoor final in June at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Tuohy will now attempt to become the first female athlete since Colorado’s Dani Jones in 2018 to capture individual and team titles in the same year.

North Carolina State has produced three individual champions, the last one coming from Suzie Tuffey in 1985. Betty Jo Geiger also won titles in 1983 and 1985 for the Wolfpack.

New Mexico’s Ednah Kurgat also achieved the feat in 2017, Colorado’s Kara Goucher swept both championships in 2000, Cathy Easker accomplished the double for Wisconsin in 1984 and Virginia’s Lesley Lehane was the first to secure both crowns in 1982.

Villanova has produced the individual and team winners in the same year seven times, most recently with Sheila Reid in 2010. Vicki Huber, Sonia O’Sullivan, Carole Zajac and Jen Rhines all captured individual championships during Villanova’s run of six consecutive team titles from 1989-94.

Taylor Roe and Natalie Cook both have the potential to secure the individual victory and lead Oklahoma State to the team title, along with Alabama’s Mercy Chelangat, who won in Stillwater in March 2021.

Amy Skieresz Wilson of Arizona was the last female athlete to capture a Division 1 cross country title at home, winning in Tucson in 1996.

Stanford setting impressive standard

Following its third straight victory at the Division 1 West Regional in Washington, the Stanford women’s team secured its 30th consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships, the longest streak among all 31 schools entered in the 6-kilometer race.

The Cardinal are tied for second all-time with Arkansas and Brigham Young at 35 overall appearances, one behind North Carolina State.

Michigan State is making its 22nd straight trip to the Division 1 final, as well as its 24th overall, with rival Michigan advancing for the 21st consecutive season to the NCAA championship meet. The Wolverines are fifth all-time with 34 overall appearances.

Washington is the only other program entered with at least 15 consecutive NCAA berths, making its 16th straight championship appearance and 29th overall.

Northwestern, which qualified for its third Division 1 final in program history, is ending one of the longest droughts in between NCAA appearances by returning for the first time since 2002. The Wildcats earned their first NCAA berth in 1985.

Welcome to the big time

California Baptist and Utah Valley are both making their debuts at the Division 1 final, becoming the first programs since Liberty finished 26th in the March 2021 championship in Stillwater to achieve the feat.

Cal Baptist previously made three appearances at the NCAA Division 2 final, taking third in 2017 in Indiana. The Lancers didn’t earn eligibility to compete in the Division 1 postseason until this year, finishing fifth Nov. 11 at the West Regional in Washington to secure an at-large berth.

Yasna Petrova, who finished fifth at the regional competition, is an All-America candidate for Cal Baptist.

Despite placing seventh Nov. 11 at the Mountain Regional in Albuquerque, Utah Valley earned one of the final at-large berths to complete the 31-team field.

The Wolverines have competed at the Division 1 level for 20 years and sent several individuals to the NCAA championship meet, but never qualified as a team competing in the challenging Mountain Regional.

Everlyn Kemboi became the first Utah Valley female competitor to win the regional title and is a contender for the national championship in Stillwater.

McCabe seeks another fantastic finish

The last time West Virginia standout Ceili McCabe competed at the Greiner Family Course in Stillwater, she rallied last year to capture the Big 12 Conference title in dramatic fashion by a 20:44.2 to 20:44.8 margin against Cailie Logue of Iowa State.

McCabe, who defended her conference championship Oct. 28 in Lubbock, Texas, is seeking another memorable moment on the 6-kilometer layout at Oklahoma State to become the first national cross country champion in program history.

McCabe, who took third last season at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla., is also looking to become only the third Canadian female competitor to secure an NCAA individual crown, joining Angela Chalmers of Northern Arizona in 1986 in Tucson, in addition to Villanova’s Sheila Reid, who won back-to-back championships in 2010-11 in Terre Haute, Ind.

McCabe finished 42nd at the March 2021 final in Stillwater, but has earned All-America honors in every NCAA championship race since, securing sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in June 2021, followed by third in the Division 1 cross country meet last season, an eighth-place effort in the indoor 3,000 in March and third again in the steeplechase final in June.

Florida’s Parker Valby is also trying to produce the first national cross country championship for the Gators, looking to elevate from a 27th-place performance in Tallahassee last year and ascend one spot from her runner-up effort in the Division 1 outdoor 5,000 final in June.

A tale of two Tennessee transfers

Perhaps the two most impactful moves in the transfer portal during the summer for podium contenders came from former Tennessee teammates Sydney Seymour and Katie Thronson, now Atlantic Coast Conference rivals at North Carolina State and Notre Dame, respectively.

Seymour secured seventh place Nov. 11 at the Southeast Regional at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky., helping the Wolfpack place five scorers in the top 12 to prevail by a 25-76 margin against North Carolina.

Thronson grabbed 10th at the Great Lakes Regional at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind., helping the Irish also produce five scorers in the top 12 in a 33-111 victory against Ohio State.

North Carolina State edged Notre Dame by a 34-38 margin Oct. 28 at the ACC Championships in Virginia, with Thronson taking sixth and Seymour finishing 29th overall.

Seymour placed 23rd and Thronson was 46th on Oct. 14 at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Madison.

Seymour also earned sixth and Thronson achieved 25th on Sept. 30 at the Joe Piane Invitational.

Seymour qualified for the Division 1 final last season at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla., but developed a high fever and was unable to race. This marks the first time Thronson has advanced to the NCAA championship meet.

Talented trios aim for top-10 performances

North Carolina State is one of six schools in Division 1 championship history to produce three top-10 competitors in the same year, achieving the feat in 1987.

The Wolfpack could join Brigham Young and Villanova as the only programs to accomplish the trifecta multiple times, especially after Katelyn Tuohy, Kelsey Chmiel and Sam Bush swept the top three spots Nov. 11 at the Southeast Regional in Kentucky.

Alabama also has the potential to place three athletes in the top 10, following four competitors finishing in the top five Nov. 11 at the South Regional in Huntsville.

The Crimson Tide has enjoyed success at the Greiner Family Course, with Mercy Chelangat winning the title in March 2021 and Amaris Tyynismaa taking third.

Hilda Olemomoi and Flomena Asekol joined Chelangat and Tyynismaa in the top five at the regional competition.

Oklahoma State could bolster its podium aspirations with top-10 performances from Taylor Roe, Natalie Cook and Billah Jepkirui.

New Mexico also has the potential to achieve three top-10 efforts from Gracelyn Larkin, Emma Heckel and Amelia Mazza-Downie.

BYU was the last school to place three athletes in the top 10 in 2019 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind.

Stanford boasts the most overall top-10 women’s performances in meet history with 28 from the combined success of 15 athletes, and the Cardinal could add to its success with Zofia Dudek.

Villanova ranks second all-time with 26 top-10 efforts, but the Wildcats didn’t qualify any female competitors for the NCAA final.

Reunion significant for former Division 3 stars

A year ago, Ari Marks, Danielle Page and Ella Baran all finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Division 3 championship meet at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park in Kentucky.

Marks moved from Wellesley to Northwestern, Page transferred from Tufts to Michigan and Baran left Johns Hopkins to conclude her career at Colorado.

All three former Division 3 standouts are expected to be joined in Stillwater by former Messiah star Esther Seeland, now competing for Virginia, along with Utah’s Ariel Keklak, another All-American from Johns Hopkins.

Baran, who placed ninth for Johns Hopkins last season to contribute to the Blue Jays capturing their seventh NCAA women’s team title, also won the Division 3 indoor mile crown in March.

She placed seventh at the Pac-12 Conference final Oct. 28 and finished 15th for Colorado on Nov. 11 at the Mountain Regional final.

Marks, who was runner-up last year behind Loras’ Kassie Parker in Louisville, concluded her Wellesley career by winning Division 3 outdoor championships in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

She finished 16th at the Big Ten Championships and 13th in the Midwest Regional for Northwestern.

Page took third for Tufts at the NCAA cross country final, then returned this fall for Michigan to earn 37th place at the Big Ten Conference meet and 31st at the Great Lakes Regional for the Wolverines.

Seeland, a Division 3 indoor and outdoor champion in the 800 meters along with a 1,500-meter winner for Messiah, was 39th at the Atlantic Coast Conference cross country final and 33rd at the Southeast Regional for Virginia.

Keklak, a Division 3 cross country All-American after placing 23rd in 2019 for Johns Hopkins, finished 118th last season in her Division 1 finals debut for Utah at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.

Keklak secured 17th place Oct. 28 at the Pac-12 Championships in Riverside, Calif., but did not race at the Mountain Regional for the Utes.