Check out the Saucony Flo50 XC Countdown, where FloTrack ranks the top 31 cross country teams in the NCAA this season. The No. 14 spot goes to Georgetown this year, and here's why:

Probable Top Four:

SR Haley Pierce (9:25 3K; 16:11 5K; 61st at '15 NCAA XC)
SR Sarah Cotton (16:14 5K; 34:44 10K; 121st at '14 NCAA XC)
SO Audrey Belf (9:21 3K; 16:16 5K; 106th at '15 NCAA XC)
JR Josette Norris (9:23 3K; 16:21 5K; 10th at '15 NCAA Southeast XC)

Fifth Woman Battle:

JR Kennedy Weisner (4:21 1500; 9:30 3K; 131st at '15 NCAA XC)
JR Piper Donaghu (4:24 1500; 9:35 3K; 194th at '15 NCAA XC)
JR Autumn Eastman (16:30 5K; 34:55 10K; 231st at '15 NCAA XC)
JR Madeline Perez (16:32 5K; 34:39 10K; 5th at '16 BIG EAST10K)

Impact Freshmen/Transfers:

Josette Norris via University of North Carolina (9:23 3K; 16:21 5K; 10th at '15 NCAA Southeast XC)
Carey Celata via University of Penn (2:07 800; 5:01 Mile)
Paige Hofstad via New Braunfels, TX (4:50 1600; 10:23 3200; 4th at '14 FL XC; 2nd at '14 NXN)
Margie Cullen via Needham, MA (4:50 Mile; 10:27 2 Mile)
Maegan Doody via Durham, NH (4:47 1600; 10:13 3K; 52nd at '14 NXN)
Kate Gobi via Holden, MA (2:15 800; 5:22 Mile) 

Analysis:

November 21, 2015, was not good day for the Hoyas. The No. 4-ranked squad found themselves in a 20th-place finish last year in Louisville. Up until the news of her decision to transfer, it looked like All-American Samantha Nadal would lead the 2016 team seeking redemption and a podium finish. Although she decided to transfer to Oregon, there's still hope for Georgetown. They will return this year with a skilled pack of juniors and renewed strength in star freshman Paige Hofstad and UNC transfer Josette Norris. Though she struggled through a few injury-plagued seasons following her second- and fourth-place finishes at NXN and Footlocker, respectively, in 2014, Hofstad returned strong this year and won the two-mile race at the Texas state meet in a PR of 10:32. 

The Hoyas will look toward Haley Pierce and Sarah Cotton for senior leadership. Pierce ran only a few outdoor meets on the track in 2016, but three consecutive top-65 finishes at NCAA XC make her a solid bet when it comes to big races on the grass. Cotton also did not race much this spring--she ran once in the 10K at the BIG EAST Conference meet--but she finished 121st at last year's NCAA meet, and a summer in Flagstaff should have her ready to run fast this fall. 

Also back in the top five is Michigan native Audrey Belf, who ran an outstanding true-freshman year in 2015-2016. Not only was she Georgetown's No. 2 finisher last year in Louisville, but Belf ran a 16:16 5K at the Stanford Invitational and was fourth at the BIG EAST Conference meet in the 1500m. 

The last spot on the Hoya's scoring squad is still TBD. Juniors Kennedy Weisner and Piper Donaghu slay the mid-distance races on the track, but both ladies still finished in the top 200 at NCAA XC last year and could very easily be back among the top five for Georgetown this fall. It would also not be surprising if Autumn Eastman and Madeline Perez stepped into the fifth-woman role. Both Perez and Eastman had breakthrough seasons on the track, and have the potential to make huge jumps on the cross country course this year. 

Previously:
#15 Washington
#16 Princeton
#17 Penn State
#18 Iowa State
#19 Syracuse
#20 San Francisco
#21 Kansas
#22 Weber State
#23 Cal
#24 North Carolina
#25 BYU
#26 Virginia
#27 Villanova
#28 Vanderbilt
#29 Texas
#30 Florida
#31 Minnesota