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

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's and women's cross country teams are both ranked #33 in the nation this week in the NCAA Division III Polls released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Both of Willamette's teams also are ranked #3 in the West Region.

Leading the men's National Poll is North Central College (Ill.), which remained in the #1 spot with all eight first place votes and 280 points. Haverford College (Pa.) kept he #2 position with 271 points, while Washington University (Mo.) stayed at #3 with 264 points.

The #4 and #5 teams in last week's poll tied for #4 this week. They are SUNY Geneseo (N.Y.) and Bates College (Maine), each with 250 points.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) continued to hold the top spot in the men's West Region rankings. In fact, the entire top 10 in the West Region remained intact. Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) was #2, with Willamette at #3, Whitworth University at #4 and the University of Puget Sound at #5.

Willamette, Whitworth and Puget Sound were three of the four Northwest Conference men's teams ranked in the West Region this week. The other team was George Fox University at #9.

Williams College (Mass.) made a big jump from #7 up to #1 in the women's National Poll. Williams received all eight first place votes and 280 points. Previously top-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) dropped one spot to #2 in the poll. Washington University (Mo.) also fell one spot to #3, as did Middlebury College (Vt.), which slipped from #3 to #4 this week.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps from the West Region remained #5 in this week's National Poll. CMS also stayed at #1 in the women's West Region Rankings.

As with the men's regional rankings, all 10 women's teams that were ranked a week ago kept the same positions in the rankings this week. Lewis & Clark College held at #2, Willamette was #3, Pomona-Pitzer continued at #4 and Linfield College stayed at #5.

Overall, six Northwest Conference teams were included in the women's West Region Rankings. In addition to Lewis & Clark, Willamette and Linfield, other NWC teams in the rankings were Whitman College at #6, Whitworth at #8 and George Fox at #10.

Willamette will host the 38th Annual Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 29 at Bush's Pasture Park. The event will feature four races, with the first race set to begin at 9:30 a.m. (PDT). A statue of Charles Bowles will be dedicated at the track following the completion of the second race. The dedication is set to begin at about 10:45 a.m. (PDT).