Cross Country Enters National Poll at No. 25
10/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 7, 2008
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest's women's cross country team is ranked No. 25 in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I Women's National Poll. It marks the first time the Deacons have been nationally ranked in cross country this season.
The women's team is also ranked No. 2 in the USTFCCCA Southeast Regional Poll, up three places from last week. Wake Forest had a strong showing at the Bill Dellinger Invitational on Friday, hosted by the previously top-ranked Oregon Ducks. Wake Forest upset No. 17 Colorado State and No. 23 Brigham Young en route to a fourth-place finish at a meet which boasted four teams in the top-25 nationally. Redshirt junior Allie Kieffer finished sixth overall with a time of 20:44.32 in the 6-kilometer race.
Other teams making a debut or return to the national rankings this week include No. 13 Villanova, No. 21 Southern Methodist and No. 23 Penn State. The Deacons finished eight points behind the Nittany Lions at the Bill Dellinger Invitational on Saturday and will face them again on Oct. 17, at the Penn State Invitational.
Washington overtook Oregon for the No. 1 spot in this week's poll after dominating the Auburn Tiger Invitational.
The voting panel for the USTFCCCA Division I Women's National Poll consists of the elected executive committee and regional representatives of the USTFCCCA and is conducted by Jesse Rosen.
Following the final regular season meet at Penn State, Wake Forest travels to Chapel Hill, N.C., on Nov. 1 for the ACC Championships. The Deacons will host the NCAA Southeast Regionals on Nov. 15 at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, N.C.
The 2008 Division I Cross Country National Championships will be held on Nov. 24, hosted by Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind.
The Women's Division I Cross Country National Poll:
1. Washington
2. Oregon
3. Florida State
4. Minnesota
5. Princeton
6. Stanford
7. West Virginia
8. Arizona State
9. Michigan State
10. Arkansas
11. Michigan
12. Stony Brook
13. Villanova
14. Florida
15. Baylor
16. Illinois
17. Wisconsin
18. Georgetown
19. North Carolina State
20. Providence
21. SMU
22. Northern Arizona
23. Penn State
24. Rice
25. WAKE FOREST
26. BYU
27. New Mexico
28. Duke
29. Texas Tech
30. Colorado
Others Receiving Votes: Iowa (20), Oregon State (19), Colorado State (17), Syracuse (16), UC Riverside (11), Notre Dame (7), Boston College (4), Georgia (4), and Portland (1).
Dropped Out: No. 17 Colorado State, No. 25 Boston College, No. 27 Iowa, No. 28 North Carolina, and No. 29 Tennessee.
Players Mentioned
