The 2022 Midwest Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll was released Wednesday afternoon and Lake Forest was listed sixth.
Voting is done by the MWC head men's cross country coaches. Each coach votes for the other eight teams in the league in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (eight points for first, seven for second, etc.). Coaches may not vote for their own teams.
Defending champion Lawrence University was atop the poll with 63 points and seven first place votes. Two coaches predicted the title would go to Grinnell College, which ranked second with 57 points. Ripon College (50) was third, Cornell College (44) fourth, and Monmouth College (33) fifth. The Foresters' 27 points put them ahead of Illinois College (20), Beloit College (17), and Knox College (13).
The Lake Forest women placed sixth at the 2021 MWC Championships after placing in the top five in each of the previous seven conference meets.
Patrick Austin's first season as the Foresters' head coach will begin with an appearance at this Friday's Elmhurst Early Bird Invitational. The annual Forester Invitational will be held a week later at Foss Park Golf Course in nearby North Chicago and will be followed by meets hosted by Wheaton College, Aurora University, Beloit, and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Monmouth College will host the 2022 MWC Championship Meet on October 29. The NCAA Division III Midwest Regional will take place in Aurora, Illinois, two weeks later and the NCAA Division III Championships will be held in Lansing, Michigan, on November 20.
| PLACE | TEAM (First Place Votes) | POINTS |
| 1 | Lawrence University (7) | 63 |
| 2 | Grinell College | 57 |
| 3 | Ripon College | 50 |
| 4 | Cornell College | 44 |
| 5 | Monmouth College | 33 |
| 6 | Lake Forest College | 27 |
| 7 | Illinois College | 20 |
| 8 | Beloit College | 17 |
| 9 | Knox College | 13 |
