Posted: Aug 27, 2024

Simpson women's cross country opens season ranked seventh in preseason regional poll

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Simpson College women's cross country team was selected seventh in the NCAA DIII women's cross country regional rankings as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday.

Simpson, which finished seventh at the NCAA Midwest Regional, returns two of its top seven runners from last season. The ranking marks the second straight season the Storm opened the year on the USTFCCCA regional ranking list after earning fifth place in 2023.

Teghan Booth, who earned all-region honors last season at the NCAA Midwest Regional, placed 15th in the region with a time of 21.58.1. Joining her at the regional was sophomore Mya Whitaker, who placed 102nd overall out of 214 competitors.

Adding to the roster will be an experienced core including senior Emily Escoto and juniors Kate Huisinga and Elie Tuhn. Escoto placed 57th overall at the A-R-C Championships with a season-best finish of 23rd at the Bill Buxton Invitational. Huisinga's 62nd place mark and Tuhn's 67th place finish at the conference championships round out the top five returners for the Storm.

Simpson opens the year by hosting the Bill Buxton Invitational on Friday, Aug. 30.

2023 IN REVIEW

Senior Lara Kallem qualified for the NCAA Cross Country National Championships, placing 131st out of 292 runners with a time of 22:45.1.
Simpson placed seventh overall at the NCAA Midwest Regional as a team, headlined by Kallem's 15th place finish, and returner Teghan Booth's 26th place, with both being selected to the all-region team.
At the A-R-C Championships, Kallem, Booth, and senior Ashley Rockhold all earned all-conference honors, leading Simpson to a third-place team finish, the best finish since 1994.
The Storm took home first place overall at the Bill Buxton Invitational as a team, with four runners placing in the top five, and seven in the top 15.

KEY RETURNERS