With no less than 21 letterwinners back from a year ago, University of Minnesota Duluth women's cross country coach Joanna Warmington is hopeful that her team's abundance of experience will pay some nice dividends in 2013. So does the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Today, that national group  released its annual preseason NCAA Division II rankings and listed UMD as the No. 14 team in the nation and No. 3 in the Central Region. Only Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rivals Augustana College (No. 4/No. 1) and Winona State University (No. 9/No. 2) were slotted higher than the Bulldogs.

Seniors Sarah Chasson and Kate Hassing, along with junior Allie Rudin will serve as 2013 team tri-captains for UMD,  which has qualfied for three of the last five NCAA II Championships. The Bulldogs will commence their 2013 season on Sept. 7 at the St. John's University Invitational in Collegeville, Minn.

USTFCCA Preseason NCAA II National Rankings

USTFCCCA Preseason NCAA II Region Rankings