By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University track and field athletes have continued to perform well this season, with the men's and women's squads both earning regional rankings and the women's team maintaining a spot in the national rankings. This week the Bearcat women's team is ranked #21 in NCAA Division III in the 2012 Outdoor Track and Field Rankings released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on April 18.

In the West Region rankings released by the USTFCCCA, the WU women's team is ranked #4 and the Bearcat men's team is ranked #5.

The top eight teams remained the same in the women's national rankings. Listed at the top is Wartburg College (Iowa), which increased its computer ranking by 44.23 points to 354.03 points this week. Overall, Wartburg has advanced its score by 97.05 points in the past two weeks, as athletes have either recorded new nationally ranked marks or have improved on marks from earlier in the season.

Holding at #2 is the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with 216.87 points. Following UW-Oshkosh in the top five, are Massachusetts Institute of Technology at #3 with 141.43 points, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire at #4 with 120.03 points and Williams College (Mass.) at #5 with 95.55 points.

Also remaining among the top eight teams are Methodist College (N.C.) in the #6 spot at 93.56 points, Illinois Wesleyan University at #7 with 92.55 points and Washington University (Mo.) at #8 with 81.28 points.

Completing the women's top 10 are Ithaca College (N.Y), now ranked #9 with 71.63 points after moving up from #12 a week ago, and Texas Lutheran University, at #10 with 70.28 points. TLU dropped one spot from last week's rankings.

In the men's national rankings the top five spots did not change. McMurry University (Texas) is the #1 team with 225.10 points. UW-Oshkosh is #2 at 190.85 points, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is #3 at 189.13 points, North Central College (Ill.) is #4 at 131.36 points and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is #5 with 104.88 points.

The #6 team in the men's rankings is the University of Wisconsin-Stout at 90.57 points, with Central College (Iowa) at #7 with 80.70 points and Haverford College (Pa.) at #8 with 80.45 points. The University of La Verne (Calif.) is #9 with 79.62 points and Augustana College (Ill.) is #10 with 79.60 points.

George Fox University tops the West Region women's rankings at 511.10 points. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) is ranked #2 at 429.97 points, while California Lutheran University is #3 at 372.85 and Willamette is #4 at 363.25. The University of La Verne (Calif.) is #5 at 313.01.

In addition to George Fox and Willamette, other Northwest Conference teams listed in the women's regional rankings are Linfield College at #7, Whitworth University at #8 and Lewis & Clark College at #10.

The West Region men's rankings start with Whitworth University at #1 with 515.65 points, the University of Redlands (Calif.) at #2 with 398.21 points and La Verne at #3 with 382.90 points. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is #4 at 358.25 and Willamette is #5 at 277.34.

Northwest Conference teams in the men's regional rankings include Whitworth and Willamette, plus Pacific Lutheran University at #6 and Linfield at #10.

Willamette is preparing this week to compete at the 2012 Northwest Conference Championships this weekend at Pacific Lutheran in Parkland, Wash. The action will begin on Friday, April 20 starting at 2 p.m. (PDT). The NWC Championships will continue on Saturday, April 21, with the first events of the day starting at 10:30 a.m.