Bearcat Track and Field Teams are Nationally Ranked

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

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University outdoor track and field teams are nationally ranked in NCAA Division III according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Willamette women's team is ranked #12 and the men's team is ranked #17 in this week's national rankings.

McMurry University (Texas) holds the #1 position in the Men's Outdoor Track & Field National Team Rankings released on Wednesday, April 7. McMurry has 280.72 points. Illinois Wesleyan University ranks #1 in the Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Team Rankings with 202.79 points.

The rankings include results achieved so far during the 2010 outdoor track and field season and reported to the Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). A formula compiles each team's ranking by comparing the results of its athletes to other NCAA Division III competitors throughout the nation in the same events.

In the men's Top 25, McMurry is followed by Whitworth University at #2 with 127.25 points and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at #3 with 116.20 points. The #4 team is Salisbury State University (Md.) with 109.14 points. Emory University (Ga.) is #5 with 98.11 points.

About six points separate Wabash College at #12 and Cortland State (N.Y.) at #18 in the men's rankings. Wabash earned 70.47 points and Cortland State achieved 64.46 points. Willamette received 66.98 points at #17 in the rankings.

Following Illinois Wesleyan in the women's national rankings is Calvin College (Mich.) with 124.74 points at #2. The #3 team is Williams College (Mass.) with 121.26 points. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is #4 with 99.86 points and Roanoke College (Va.) is #5 with 99.60 points.

Willamette's ranking at #12 includes 67.11 points. Loras College (Iowa) is #11 with 73.35 points and the University of Redlands (Calif.) is #13 at 65.60 points.

The USTFCCCA also released the Regional Team Index for all eight regions in NCAA Division III. Willamette was listed at #1 in the West Region women's team index and the Bearcat men's team was #2 in the West Region. The regional index is a measure of each team's all-around strength in relation to other teams in the same region.

In the women's West Region index, Willamette leads the way with 398.51 points. WU is followed by California Lutheran University at #2 with 390.82 points and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at #3 with 383.50 points.

Other Northwest Conference teams included in the West Region women's rankings are George Fox University at #6, Whitworth at #8, Linfield College at #9 and Pacific Lutheran University at #10.

Willamette trails only Whitworth in the men's West Region index. Whitworth is #1 with 557.64 points. The Bearcats are #2 with 508.45 points and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is #3 with 503.79 points.

In addition to Whitworth and Willamette, the West Region men's index also includes NWC teams from Linfield at #9 and Pacific Lutheran at #10.

The Bearcats are set to compete at the John Knight Twilight at Western Oregon University on Friday, April 9. Action at the WOU campus in Monmouth, Ore., is set to begin at 3:15 p.m. (PDT).