In a thrilling race at the Southeast Regional, the NC State women's team emerged victorious, securing their spot in the upcoming nationals. However, a familiar setback overshadowed their celebration as Amaris Tyynismaa faced yet another DNF (Did Not Finish) for the second consecutive race.

The NC State women's team was in high spirits after their 52-82 win over Furman, but concerns were raised about Tyynismaa's performance. The talented runner, whose strong performances are crucial for the team's chances of beating NAU at nationals, failed to complete the race once again. At the ACCs, she dropped out with only 800 meters to go. This time, Tyynismaa did not even make it as far as the previous race, as she was 10th at the 3.5-kilometer mark and did not have a split at 5 kilometers. It's a disappointing turn of events for Tyynismaa, who last finished a race when she secured fourth place in the NCAA 5k back in June.

Adding to the team's concerns, NC State also opted not to race Kelsey Chmiel, further intensifying the pressure on the remaining runners to perform well in upcoming competitions.

Meanwhile, in the Northeast Regional race, an unexpected upset took place as Boston College clinched second place in the women's race. In a surprising turn of events, Heps champions Harvard finished in fourth place. The implications of this upset remain uncertain, and experts are eager to analyze how it might impact the overall projections for the upcoming nationals.

In the Mountain Regional, the heavily favored NAU and BYU women's teams secured the top two spots comfortably, as predicted. Notably, the impressive aspect of NAU's performance was achieved despite three of their top runners, Elise Stearns, Annika Reiss, and Keira Moore, not participating in the race. These athletes, who had previously shown strong performances at Nuttycombe, were absent from the lineup. Regardless, the NAU women's team proved their dominance, scoring only 39 points and solidifying their position as favorites heading into the national championship.

As the first regional races conclude, it's worth noting that there haven't been any major changes from the initial projections, except for adjustments in the order in which teams secure their spots. The Tennessee and Florida women's teams have earned automatic qualification, while Ole Miss, Alabama, and Lipscomb are set to secure at-large spots. The most striking development is that all five teams from the South are on track to qualify, a noteworthy occurrence in recent years.

As the nation eagerly awaits the remaining regional races and the subsequent national championship, teams and fans alike are left pondering the unpredictable nature of cross-country racing and the potential for upsets to reshape expectations.