NEW ORLEANS--- The Stanislaus State women's cross country team moved up one spot to No. 12 in the nation in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II rankings released this afternoon.

The Warriors earned 150 points in the Oct. 15 national poll, marking their sixth straight week appearing in both the national and regional rankings, including the preseason poll. Stan State remains one of only two California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) programs ranked in the national top 15, joining conference rival Chico State at No. 9.

In this week's West Region rankings, Chico State holds the top spot, with Stan State following at No. 2. Biola (Calif.) sits third, Western Washington fourth, and Alaska Anchorage rounds out the top five. Cal Poly Pomona, Simon Fraser, Concordia Irvine, Point Loma Nazarene, and Central Washington complete the region's top 10—showcasing the depth and balance across three conferences: the CCAA, PacWest, and GNAC.

Stan State put together an impressive performance at the SF State Invitational despite not running its top six runners, showcasing the team's depth and continued improvement heading into the postseason. Crystal Hernandez led the way, placing fifth overall in 22:01.2. Tessa Vasquez followed in eighth (22:05.2), with Aubrey Webb 12th (22:25.9), Makenzie Kordic 19th (22:35.7), and Valorie Jimenez 26th (22:47.3) rounding out the scoring five.  Stan State's depth extended beyond the top five, as Bianca Scott (36th, 23:06.1), Noheli Ron (41st, 23:18.0), Roseli Diaz (57th, 23:42.4), and Vanessa Diaz (59th, 23:46.6) all contributed solid efforts in the 6K field.

The Warriors opened the fall with a pair of statement performances against top NCAA Division I competition. At the Kim Duyst Twilight on September 13 in Ceres, Stan State edged Sacramento State by one point, 75–76, to claim the team title. Annie Wild led the charge with a third-place finish in 21:02.7, followed by Jacqueline Sanchez-Silva (10th, 21:22.1) and Bela Moreno (11th, 21:25.9). Izzy Soto (27th, 21:47.0) and Stevie Holguin (29th, 21:48.2) rounded out the scoring five. The Warriors' performance was especially notable as they finished ahead of four NCAA Division I programs—Sacramento State, UC Davis, Nevada, and Cal-Berkeley. Wild's effort also earned her FloCollege/CCAA Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week honors.

Two weeks later at the UC Riverside Invitational, the Warriors again proved their national quality, finishing second overall and as the top Division II team in a field stacked with Division I programs. Sanchez-Silva placed third in 20:23.1, Wild was fifth in 20:25.2, and Holguin (19th, 20:57.0), Soto (26th, 21:01.7), and Crystal Hernandez (72nd, 21:32.7) secured another strong team score of 93 points. Stan State also picked up standout efforts in the open 5K from Bianca Scott (6th, 17:58.5) and Aubrey Webb (27th, 18:27.7), adding to the team's depth.

Up Next:
Stan State will open postseason competition at the CCAA Championships, hosted by Chico State on October 24 at Bidwell Park. The Warriors will look to advance to nationals for the third time in the last four years and second year in a row. Two weeks later, they will compete at the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships on Saturday, November 8, at Ash Creek Preserve on the campus of Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon, as they aim to qualify for the 2025 NCAA Division II National Cross Country Championships on November 22 at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course in Kenosha, Wisconsin.