USTFCCCA Release
New Orleans, La. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse finished fourth in the 2025-26 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Women's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Deb Vercauteren Program of the Year Award standings, the USTFCCCA announced Tuesday.
The USTFCCCA Program of the Year Award is bestowed annually to the most outstanding cross country/track & field programs in each of the NCAA's three divisions and for each gender. The award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution's finish at the NCAA Championships.
UWL placed fourth at the 2026 NCAA III Indoor Championships.
In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the NCAA Championships. Scoring is based on the team's finish at each NCAA Championship in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points ... 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award recipient. Ties among schools split points for positions taken.
UW-La Crosse finished with 17.0 points in this year's standings. The Eagles won the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship, placed fourth at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and 12th at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.
Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) captured the 2025-26 USTFCCCA Women's Program of the Year Award with 10.0 points, winning the national indoor track & field title, placing second at the outdoor championships and seventh in cross country.
Williams College (Mass.) placed second with 11.5 points with Johns Hopkins University (Md.) third with 12.0. Massachusetts Institute of Technology rounded out the top five with 23.0 points.
UW-La Crosse has finished a school-best second on three (2008-09, 2014-15, 2015-16) occasions in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year standings. The Eagles were third in 2013-14 and 2021-22. Along with this year's fourth-place finish, UW-La Crosse was fourth in 2012-13, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25. The Eagles placed eighth in 2009-10, 10th in 2018-19, 11th in 2016-17 and 13th in 2017-18.
UWL won the 2025 WIAC Cross Country title.
Washington-St. Louis (Mo.) has now won seven (2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2025-26) USTFCCCA Program of the Year Awards. Wartburg College (Iowa) has won four (2008-09, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14) awards while Massachusetts Institute of Technology has won three (2010-11, 2014-15, 2024-25) and UW-Oshkosh one (2009-10). The award was established in 2008-09.
UW-La Crosse swept the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championships in cross country and women's indoor and outdoor track & field this season.
The USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Deb Vercauteren Program of the Year Award is named after USTFCCCA Hall of Famer and former UW-Oshkosh women's head cross country and track & field coach Deb Vercauteren.
