By Eric Spresser, Student Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, Ore. -- After an impressive performance at the Northwest Conference Championships this past weekend, the Willamette University men's cross country team advanced 11 positions to #21 in the latest NCAA Division III National Coaches' Poll released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The Bearcats jumped from their previous ranking of #32 in the national poll after winning their fourth straight Northwest Conference Men's Cross Country Championship. 

At the NWC Championships on Pacific Lutheran University's campus this past Saturday, the Bearcat men finished third, fifth, sixth, seventh, and 10th out of 80 runners over the 8-kilometer course to take home the crown.

In the new men's national rankings, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire continued to be ranked #1 for the fourth straight week, after receiving five of the eight first place votes and notching 277 points. Coming in at #2 this week was Williams College (Mass.), which grabbed the other three first place votes to earn 274 points.

Holding steady at #3 this week was North Central College (Ill.) with 263 points, while St. Olaf College (Minn.) remained at #4 with 258 points and Amherst College (Mass.) continued to sit at #5 with 245 points.

Remaining at #6 overall was SUNY Geneseo (N.Y.) with 241 points, while Haverford College (Pa.) moved up one spot from last weeks rankings to #7 overall with 230 points. Coming in at #8 this week after hopping up two positions from the previous rankings was Massachusetts Institute of Technology with 224 points. St. Lawrence University (N.Y.) slipped two spots to #9 with 220 points. Rounding out the top 10 was Claremont-Mudd Scripps (Calif.), which received 205 points.

After bumping up in the national rankings, the Bearcat men also moved up in this week's West Region rankings, advancing to #2 behind #1 Claremont-Mudd Scripps. 

Following the Bearcats in the West Region rankings was Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) at #3, followed by fellow NWC member University of Puget Sound at #4. Occidental College (Calif.) was listed at #5. Other NWC teams in the West Region rankings were Whitman at #6 and Whitworth at #7. 

The Bearcats will not compete this weekend, as they rest up for the NCAA Division III West Regional. The West Regional meet will be hosted by Occidental College on the Pomona-Pitzer campus in Claremont, California, on Saturday, Nov. 14. The men's race is set for 10 a.m. (PST).

Photo by Christopher Oertel, photographer for Willamette Athletics