By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University cross country teams have returned to the national rankings after strong performances at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 1. In this week's NCAA Division III National Polls released by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), the Willamette men's team is tied for #34 and the Bearcat women's team is ranked #35.
In addition, the Willamette men's team is ranked #3 in the West Region. The women's team is listed at #4 in the West Region.
North Central College (Ill.) and SUNY Geneseo (N.Y.) were tied for the #1 ranking in this week's men's National Poll. Each received four first place votes and 276 points. Last week, SUNY Geneseo was the #1 team in the country and North Central was #2.
Willams College (Mass.) remained at #3 and received 264 points. University of Wisconsin-Eau Clair also stayed the same at #4 with 256 points. Massachusetts Institute of Technology moved up one position to #5 with 242 points.
The #6 team this week, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, advanced two spots from a week ago with 234 points. Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) dropped two positions to #7 with 227 points.
Three other teams each went up two rungs in the poll to take the next three spots. Amherst College (Mass.) jumped up to #8 with 219 points, barely in front of Loras College (Iowa) at #9 with 218 points. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was #10 at 204.
Willamette, Pomona-Pitzer and #14 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) were the only West Region teams in the men's poll.
The #1 team in the West Region men's rankings remained Pomona-Pitzer. Likewise, CMS stayed at #2 and Willamette stayed at #3. All the other rankings changed.
Whittier College (Calif.) was the biggest beneficiary, moving up two spots into the #4 position. Lewis & Clark College also advanced two positions to take over the #5 ranking. George Fox University changed from #9 up to #6.
Occidental College (Calif.) slipped two spaces to #7. University of California, Santa Cruz and Whitworth University both moved into the West Region rankings, sliding in at #8 and #9, respectively. Pacific Lutheran University fell two spots to #10.
SUNY Geneseo was listed as the #1 team in the women's National Poll with eight first place votes and 280 points. Massachusetts Institute of Technology was #2 with 271 points. Wiliams advanced two positions to #3 in the poll with 260 points.
Johns Hopkins University (Md.) took a short drop from #3 to #4 with 255 points. Washington University (Mo.) was close behind at #5 with 253 points.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps moved up one spot to #6 at 237, while UW-La Crosse jumped one spot to #7 at 225. Calvin College (Mass.) also went up one line in the poll to claim part of a two-way tie for #8 with Middlebury College (Vt.) at 224. Middlebury made the biggest leap of the week, advancing 15 places from #23 a week ago.
Dickinson College (Pa.) held the last spot in the top 10. Dickinson received 201 points.
Joining CMS and Willamette in the women's National Poll were Whitworth at #27 and Colorado College at #33.
In the West Region women's rankings, the top three spots remained unchanged. They were held by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at #1, Whitworth at #2 and Colorado College at #3. Willamette advanced one spot #4, while Pomona-Pitzer slipped one position to #5.
The bottom five teams in the West Region top 10 maintained the same rankings as last week. UC Santa Cruz was #6, with Occidental at #7, University of Redlands (Calif.) at #8, Lewis & Clark at #9 and George Fox at #10.
Willamette does not compete this weekend, but the Bearcats will participate in two meets on Saturday, Oct. 15. One group of WU athletes will run in the UW-Oshkosh Invitational at the Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, Wisconsin. Another group will compete at the Lewis & Clark Invitational at McIver Park in Estacada, Oregon.
