The 2025 Midwest Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll was released Monday morning and Lake Forest College was listed fifth.
Voting is done by the MWC head women's cross country coaches. Each coach votes for the other eight teams in the league in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (eight points for first, seven for second, etc.). Coaches may not vote for their own teams.
Grinnell College was atop the poll with 61 points and five first place selections. Lawrence University was in the top spot on three ballots and Ripon College the other. They ranked second and third, respectively, and were separated by just one point. Lake Forest's 31 points were 15 fewer than four-place Cornell College and four ahead of Monmouth College in sixth.
The Lake Forest women placed fifth at each of the last two MWC Championships. They are led by Sophie Graham, who placed in the top 20 to earn All-MWC honors in 2023 and 2024, and Lettia Hoda who was also an All-MWC honoree two seasons ago.
Patrick Austin will begin his fourth season as the Foresters' head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside's Vic Godfrey Open on Friday, September 5. Lake Forest will also attend regular season meets hosted by Wheaton College, Wisconsin Lutheran College, and Augustana College. Cornell will host the 2025 MWC Championship Meet on November 1 and Wartburg College the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional two weeks later. The NCAA Division III Championships will be held in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on November 22.
| PLACE |
TEAM (First Place Votes) |
POINTS |
| 1 |
Grinnell College (5) |
61 |
| 2 |
Lawrence University (3) |
54 |
| 3 |
Ripon College (1) |
53 |
| 4 |
Cornell College |
46 |
| 5 |
Lake Forest College |
31 |
| 6 |
Monmouth College |
27 |
| 7 |
Knox College |
21 |
| 8 |
Beloit College |
17 |
| 9 |
Illinois College |
14 |
