Follow our 2017 FloXC Countdown, where FloTrack ranks the top 25 cross country teams and individuals in the NCAA this season which will be LIVE on FloTrack. The No. 2 women's spot goes to Stanford, and here's why:

Probable Top Five:

SR Courtney Smith (9:17 3K; 15:46 5K; 32:08 10K; 35th at '16 NCAA XC; 8th at '16 NCAA Indoor 5K)
SR Vanessa Fraser (9:04 3K; 15:25 5K; 7th at '17 USATF 5K; 5th at '17 NCAA 3K; 67th at '16 NCAA XC)
JR Elise Cranny (4:09 1500; 8:58 3K; 15:49 5K; 158th at '16 NCAA XC; 2nd at '16 NCAA 1500; 12th at '14 NCAA XC)
SO Fiona O'Keeffe (4:22 1500; 9:15 3K; 15:46 5K; 37th at '16 NCAA XC; 5th at '17 NCAA Outdoor 5K)
SO Christina Aragon (4:08 1500; 9:12 3K; 38th at '16 NCAA XC; 7th at '17 NCAA Outdoor 1500; 3rd at '16 IAAF World Jr 1500)

Impact Freshmen/Transfers:

Courtney Smith via Harvard (9:17 3K; 15:46 5K; 32:08 10K; 35th at '16 NCAA XC; 8th at '16 NCAA Indoor 5K)
Nevada Mareno via Raleigh, NC (4:43 Mile; 10:00 2 Mile; 2nd at '16 FL XC; 3rd at '15 FL XC)
Julia Heymach via Manvel, TX (2:05 800; 4:41 Mile; 10:14 3200; 16th at '16 FL XC; 3rd at '15 NBN 2 Mile)
Jessica Lawson via Painted Post, NY (4:22 1500; 10:12 2 Mile; 16:38 5K; 8th at '16 NXN; 11th at '15 FL XC; 1st at '17 NBN 5K)
Jordan Oakes via Seattle, WA (4:47 Mile; 10:19 3200; 31st at '16 FL XC; 20th at '15 FL XC)

Analysis:

The Cardinal returns the majority of its squad that placed fifth last year in Terre Haute on the shoulders of three true freshman scorers. With the addition of Harvard transfer Courtney Smith, Stanford has five returning All-Americans to lead this fall's lineup.

Fiona O'Keeffe and Christina Aragon led the team in 2016 with All-American finishes in 37th and 38th as rookies, and both went on to standout track campaigns with a fifth-place, 15:46 5K performance at NCAAs for California native O'Keeffe, and a seventh-place run in the NCAA 1500m final for Aragon, who was the bronze medalist in that event at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships. Fellow true freshman Ella Donaghu ran No. 5 for the Cardinal in 100th place, but redshirted the indoor and outdoor track season.

The natural leader of the team, though, is likely Vanessa Fraser, who redshirted the outdoor track season but produced a 15:25 personal best for 5K to place seventh at the USATF Outdoor Championships. The senior was just 67th at last year's NCAA XC Championship, though she earned All-American honors by placing 40th as a sophomore.

Elise Cranny will also provide leadership; she is still a junior in cross country eligibility after redshirting the 2015 XC season and has raced twice at the championship, gutting out a 158th finish last year after fighting injury during the season, and taking top freshman honors in 2014 with a 13th-place run.

Stanford has an ace in Smith, who made huge improvements at Harvard. In 2014, she was 96th at the NCAA Northeast Regional before improving to fifth at Regionals/60th at NCAAs in 2015 and second at regionals/35th at NCAAs in 2016. She redshirted the spring but her track PBs of 15:46 for 5K and 32:08 for 10K mean she's as quick as almost anyone in the nation when healthy.

We have yet to even take into account Stanford's incredible recruiting class, which features Nevada Mareno, who has finished no worse than third in two appearances at Foot Locker Nationals; Jess Lawson, the 2017 New Balance Nationals Outdoor 5K champion; and Julia Heymach and Jordan Oakes, multiple-time Foot Locker finalists and state champions in Texas and Washington, respectively.

This team boasts considerable depth: not only Donaghu, but also veterans Hannah DeBalsi, Abbie McNulty, and Julia Maxwell. Who will lead the team in November? Can multiple first-years crack the top five again? Stanford's women's squad has a lot of question marks, but their depth ensures the answers are all positive.

FULL WOMEN'S RANKINGS HERE