Follow our 2018 FloXC Countdown, where FloTrack ranks the top cross country teams in the NCAA this season, which will be LIVE on FloTrack. The No. 7 women’s spot in DII goes to Hillsdale, and here's why:

Probable Top Five:

JR Arena Lewis (16:44 5K; 52nd at ’17 NCAA XC)

SO Christina Sawyer (9:54 3K; 17:33 5K; 67th at ’17 NCAA XC)

SO Maryssa Depies (9:50 3K: 16:58 5K; 73rd at ’17 NCAA XC)

SR Allysen Eads (4:54 Mile; 10:33 3K ST; 84th at ’15 NCAA XC)

SO Kyleigh Edwards (17:25 5K; 135th at ’17 NCAA XC)

Impact Freshmen/Transfers:

N/A

Analysis:

12-time All-American Hannah McIntyre’s graduation certainly hurts, but Hillsdale remains an elite squad as six of the top seven return in 2018. The Chargers have four runners who have placed inside the top-90 at NCAAs, and are still quite young with just one senior among the top five. That’s a sure sign that this group will be competitive for years to come.

Junior Arena Lewis looks like the No. 1 on paper for coach Andrew Towne’s squad, as Lewis improved markedly last year. After an abbreviated freshman XC season that saw her run just one race in 2016, Lewis took the reigns as McIntyre’s deputy, finishing 52nd at nationals in her debut. Christina Sawyer and Maryssa Depies were each just freshman in 2017, and yet they both finished in the top-75 at nationals. After a year on campus, both should see improvements in their sophomore campaigns.

Allysen Eads and Kyleigh Edwards form a solid contingent as the fourth and fifth runners. Eads hasn’t been able to replicate her 84th place nationals finish from 2015 over the last two years, but she has loads of NCAA experience as a senior-to-be that she can draw from to get back on that level. Edwards was one of three freshman on the nationals roster last fall, and she showed steady improvement in her first year.

Hillsdale was seventh at NCAAs in 2017 with McIntyre leading the charge, but a lot has changed in the women’s team competition landscape due to graduation among top teams and Cal Baptist leaving D-II. With the Chargers bringing back everyone besides McIntyre in 2018, their roster remains one of the strongest in the country.

FULL RANKINGS HERE