2024 women’s U Sports cross country pre-season power rankings – Canadian Running Magazine

What better way to remind you that fall is just around the corner than the arrival of cross-country season? In honour of this exciting time of year, we reveal to you our annual pre-season U Sports cross-country power rankings.

Here’s how our rankings operate: when a team does well, their position in the rankings ascends, while big losses will knock them down in the standings. We’ll be providing updates to these rankings every two weeks throughout the season as we build up to the 2024 U Sports Championships on Nov. 9 at Mission Recreation Park in Kelowna, B.C.

10. Laval Rouge et Or (RSEQ)

9. McMaster Marauders (OUA)

8. Guelph Gryphons (OUA)

7. UBC Okanagan Heat (CanWest)

6. McGill Martlets (RSEQ)

5. University of New Brunswick Reds (AUS)

4. Victoria Vikes (CanWest)

3. St. Francis Xavier X-Women (AUS)

2. Western Mustangs (OUA)

1. UBC Thunderbirds (CanWest)

The UBC Thunderbirds established clear dominance in the 2023 season, beating a strong team of Western Mustangs to win the U Sports championships by 33 points. With four of UBC’s top five team scorers returning, including the reigning U Sports champion Katie Newlove, they will be the ones to beat. Teammates Jennifer Erickson and Holly MacGillivray, both first-team all-Canadians last year, will be giving Newlove a run for the individual title. Rachel Mortimer is coming off an impressive track season, making her one to continue looking out for this year. Amelia Pfohl will likely be filling in that final scoring spot to bring the small but mighty team of Thunderbirds to glory.

University of British Columbia soars to double gold at 2023 U Sports XC Championships

Western, the 2023 OUA champions and U Sports championships runner-ups will surely put up a fight against UBC, with all five top scorers returning, including U Sports bronze medallist Erika Jordan, and new NCAA transfer Ashley Maguire, who has already revealed herself as a threat, winning Western’s Intrasquad meet last weekend. The top two teams in our preseason rankings won’t likely square off until the 2024 U Sports Championships in Kelowna on Nov. 9.

Individual title contenders

Katie Newlove (UBC)
Jennifer Erickson (UBC)
Erika Jordan (Western Mustangs)
Ashley McGuire (Western Mustangs)
Lauren McNeill (UBCO)
Elisa Tripotin (UQAM Citadins)
Eileen Benoit (St. F.X. X-Women)

This 2024 U Sports Cross Country season will be brought to you by Under Armour. Each week, we will be selecting a top performer of the week in the run-up to the 2024 U Sports Championships. The winners will get exclusive UA gear and an interview on Canadian Running.