The NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship is the cross country championship held by the National Collegiate Athletic Association each autumn for individual runners and cross country teams from universities in Division I. Teams and individual runners qualify for the championship at regional competitions approximately a week before the national championships. The championship has been held annually since 1981. The reigning national champions are the NC State Wolfpack.
Teams compete in one of nine regional championships to qualify. The top two teams automatically advance, and 13 additional teams are chosen as at-large selections. In addition to the 31 teams, 38 individual runners qualify for the national championship.[1][2]
The Division I national championship race included 13 teams in 1981, 16 teams from 1982 to 1988 and 22 teams from 1989 to 1997. Beginning in 1998, the national championship race has included 31 teams.
The race distance from 1981 to 1999 was 5,000 meters (3.1 miles). Since 2000 the race distance has been 6,000 meters (3.7 miles).[3]
Cross country was one of twelve women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981–82 school year, as the NCAA engaged in battle with the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women for sole governance of women's collegiate sports. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championship program in the same twelve (and other) sports; however, after a year of dual women's championships, the NCAA conquered the AIAW and usurped its authority and membership.
Villanova has won more NCAA Division I women's titles (9) than any other school, followed by BYU and Stanford with 5. BYU and North Carolina State have competed in the most NCAA Division I women's championships (25). Villanova has had the most individual NCAA Division I women's cross country champions (9).[3]
The championship race distance was 5,000 meters from 1981 to 1999, and has been 6,000 meters since the 2000 race.
Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech (2006, 2007, and 2008)