By John Lind, Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's and women's track and field teams continued to be included in the latest NCAA Division III West Region rankings released this week by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The Willamette men's team improved one position to #6 in the West Region, switching places with NWC competitor Pacific Lutheran University. The Bearcat women's team kept its spot at #4 in the West Region women's rankings.

The men's West Region rankings remained consistent, except for the flip between the Bearcats and the Lutes. NWC champion Whitworth University held its spot atop the West Region men's rankings with 644.75 points. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps stayed at #2 in the West with 576.23 points.

University of La Verne holds the #3 ranking with 359.90 points, while the University of Redlands (Calif.) is #4 at 284.91 points. Whittier College (Calif.) is #5 in with 209.38 points. Willamette surged ahead of PLU and into sixth with 201.14 points. The Lutes fell to #7 with 193.50 points.

Fellow NWC member Pacific University is ranked #8 with 184.76 points.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) retains the #1 spot in the West Region women's rankings with 474.83 points. George Fox University follows at #2 with 400.60 points, while La Verne (Calif.) is #3 at 363.61.

Willamette stayed at #4 in the polls with 345.35 points, but widened its distance above California Lutheran University. CLU remained at #5 with 321.48 points. Whitworth held at #6 with 306.72 points.

The women's standings saw very little change in the top 10. PLU jumped up two spots to #8 with 155.26 points, and Lewis & Clark fell two spots to #10 with 152.95 points.

After a large jump to #1 in the previously released national poll, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women's team was supplanted from its position by Wartburg College (Iowa). Wartburg came in with 131.70 points to UW-La Crosse's 124.05. Illinois College held steady at #3 with 100.34 points, while the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh was #4 with 88.88 points.

Buffalo State University jumped three spots from #8 to break into the top five with 84.90 points.

UW-La Crosse is #1 in the men's national rankings with 202.14 points, after jumping UW-Oshkosh. The Titans are the #2 team in the nation with 200.25 points, and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is still #3 at 198.66 points. Whitworth remained at #4 with 127.20 points. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater retained the #5 ranking with 118.45 points.

This week is highlighted by last-chance meets throughout the country. On Sunday, the list of competitors in all events at the 2013 NCAA Track and Field Championships will be filled by athletes with the top 20 marks in men's events and the top 22 marks in women's events.