Even though it feels like the cross country season just got off and running, it's already that time of the year when the contenders head off to Pre-Nationals.

This year, the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course in Madison, Wisconsin is hosting its penultimate meet of the season. Last month, the Nuttycombe Invitational saw a lot of national powers come for a preview of the NCAA National Championship course, but the field this time around is even tougher.

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It's not often you see three top-six teams in the FloTrack College XC Rankings Presented by HOKA competing head-to-head before the postseason, but the 2024 Wisconsin Pre-Nationals meet is changing the game and giving fans a glimpse into what's to come.

The 2023 national runner-up and top-ranked NAU is bringing its entire squad this weekend, and that includes FloTrack's sixth-ranked individual Elise Stearns, their top returner from a year ago. This will be the senior's 2024 debut, and there's no better time for it as the Lumberjacks look to fend off No. 2 BYU, No. 3 Washington and No. 6 NC State, the three-time defending NCAA champions. 

This is the first time that Mike Smith's group has been at full strength this season, and that's a scary sight considering they're undefeated on the year. However, after falling to the 'Jacks by just 13 points at the Joe Piane Invitational, the BYU women are looking to strike ahead of nationals.

Led by their star-studded trio of Lexy Halladay-Lowry (No. 18), Jenna Hutchins (No. 47) and Carmen Alder (No. 98), the Cougars are easily one of the top contenders to take down NAU.

Along with BYU, the Washington women are a team to keep an eye on, considering they comfortably won the Nuttycombe Invitational last month over a few ranked teams.

Similar to NAU, Washington has been competing this season with the bulk of their pieces, but the return of Sophie O'Sullivan (No. 41) will be huge for the Huskies. O'Sullivan may not finish as their top runner, but the mid-distance star is bound to help make the Husky pack even more lethal. 

Along with the trio of top-five contenders, the collegiate juggernaut that is NC State is looking to make a statement before they attempt the coveted four-peat.

After finishing runner-up behind Alabama at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invite, the Wolfpack are looking to bounce back and remind the NCAA that they're still the team to beat. 

The Tuohy-less squad features Leah Stephens (No. 13), Grace Hartman (No. 52) and Hannah Gapes (No. 57), along with a plethora of newcomers including St. Benedict transfer Fiona Smith (No. 87).

We knew it would take some adjusting to after losing a senior class loaded with All-Americans, but if there is any team that can do it, it's NC State.

Another team to watch out for is the No. 11 Florida Gators, who is finally showing their cards with the debut of Hilda Olemomoi (No. 2), the Alabama transfer who is looking to replace Parker Valby as the Gators' low-stick. 

In total, there are 19 teams ranked inside the FloTrack College XC Rankings Presented by HOKA that are set to toe the line this Friday, including No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 12 Notre Dame, No. 14 Furman and No. 15 Stanford.

If you thought the women's race was jam-packed with contenders, just wait until you hear about the men's race. 

A trio of top-five programs are on course to clash, with No. 2 Arkansas, No. 4 Iowa State and No. 5 Northern Arizona getting a preview of both the NCAAs course and their top competition.

The Razorback men are coming off an incredibly strong showing at the Chile Pepper XC Festival where their partial squad averaged 23:42 for 8k. Arkansas may very well be the deepest team in the country this season, and with their front-running trio of Patrick Kiprop (No. 7), Yaseen Abdalla (No. 9) and Kirami Yego (No. 15).

The fourth-ranked Iowa State Cyclones have quietly been having a tremendous season, most recently finishing runner-up on this came course just a few weeks ago. Led by Robin Kwemoi Bera (No. 24) who finished fifth in 23:18.2, Iowa State took down several ranked programs. 

The Cyclones aren't only heading into Friday with a lot of momentum, but they're also getting ready for the season debut of Sanele Masondo (No. 16), the 16th-place finisher from the NCAA Championships a year ago.

The third and final top-five team in Madison is one of the greatest programs in collegiate history -- the NAU Lumberjacks. The team that has won six national titles since 2016 is in a similar spot as the NC State women.

The 'Jacks put up a fight at the Joe Piane Invitational earlier this month, still finishing just 13 points shy of Notre Dame even with Santiago Prosser's (No. 17) DNF.

Individually, Harvard's Graham Blanks is making his long-awaited debut after an eventful junior season. The senior won the NCAA title last November before breaking the NCAA indoor 5000m record two weeks later in Boston, MA. 

After an injury-filled track season, Blanks made it to the U.S. Trials 5000m final and eventually the Olympic final.

Blanks' best performance on this course happened just over a year ago, as Blanks won big at Nuttycombe in 23:23.4.

In addition to the three top-five teams, 14 other teams ranked inside the top-30 of the FloTrack College XC Rankings are ready to race, with the likes of No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 12 California Baptist, No. 14 Harvard, and No. 15 Michigan.

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