2023 Women’s U Sports cross country pre-season power rankings

Fall is in the air, and that means one thing: it’s time for our annual pre-season U Sports cross-country power rankings.

Here’s how the rankings work: if a team is winning, they will climb the rankings. If a team is losing, they slide. We will update the rankings every three weeks during the season in the ramp-up to the 2023 U Sports Championships on Nov. 12, from London, Ont.

We are eight weeks away from the 2023 U Sports Championship, so here are the rankings of the top 10 women’s teams in the country, in addition to a couple of athletes to watch for this season in their respective conferences.

10. Toronto Varsity Blues (OUA)

9. UBC Okanagan Heat (CanWest)

8. Victoria Vikes (CanWest)

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

6. Queen’s Gaels (OUA)

5. McMaster Marauders (OUA)

4. Laval University (RSEQ)

3. Guelph Gryphons (OUA)

2. Western University (OUA)

1. UBC Thunderbirds (CanWest)

The top-ranked UBC Thunderbirds are locked and loaded after a second-place finish at nationals last year behind Laval Rouge-et-Or, who won their second consecutive U Sports women’s championship in Halifax. Laval has lost two of their top-four runners heading into the season, with 2021 U Sports champion Jessy Lacourse graduating and Florence Caron transferring to the NCAA—two spots that will indeed be difficult to replace. The Thunderbirds have most of their team returning from 2022 (aside from the reigning U Sports champion Glynis Sim). The UBC Thunderbirds have a better top six than any other program in the country right now, and they will be out to prove that as they take on #2 Western Mustangs and #3 Guelph Gryphons on Sept. 23 at the Western Invitational.

Individual title contenders

Jade Berube (Laval Rouge-et-Or)
Anna Carruthers (Western Mustangs)
Sophie Coutts (Western Mustangs)
Cameron Ormond (Guelph Gryphons)
Marley Beckett (UBC Thunderbirds)
Catherine Beauchemin (Laval Rouge-et-Or)
Hannah Goodjohn (McMaster Marauders)