Willamette Women's Track Team Holds at #4 in West Region

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

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's track and field team continues to hold the #4 ranking in the West Region of NCAA Division III as released this week by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

In the West Region, the top six women's teams are the same this week. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) is ranked #1 with 687.98 points. George Fox University is #2 at 458.73 and Whitworth University is #3 at 414.01. Willamette follows with a solid hold on the #4 spot at 363.17 points.

Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) is listed #5 with 250.74 points. University of Redlands (Calif.) is #6 with 223.82 points.

The Northwest Conference has five women's teams included in this week's West Region rankings. In addition to George Fox at #2, Whitworth at #3 and Willamette at #4, the NWC also is represented by Linfield College at #9 with 179.81 points and University of Puget Sound at #10 with 135.37 points. Linfield slipped two spots from #7, while UPS moved up into the rankings.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is listed first in the men's West Region rankings with 524.35 points. Whitworth is #2 with 428.62 points, while Redlands is up two positions to #3 at 320.34. George Fox dropped one spot to #4 at 305.36 and Occidental College (Calif.) slipped one position to #5 at 292.71.

Sitting at #1 in the women's national rankings is University of Wisconsin-La Crosse at 283.87 points. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire advanced one spot to #2 at 141.69, with University of Wisconson-Oshkosh leaping six spots to #3 at 117.25.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology increased one slot in the rankings and is now #4 at 116.91. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) fell three positions to #5 and has 107.27 points.

The West Region is represented in the women's rankings by CMS at #5, George Fox at #14 and California Lutheran University at #16.

Team rankings are determined by assigning points to athletes ranked high on the national performance lists. Each team's score is the sum of their athletes point totals.

Listed at #1 in the men's national rankings is UW-La Crosse with 215.69 points. UW-Eau Claire is #2 with 185.14 points and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater holds the #3 ranking at 122.50. Salisbury University (Md.) jumped 13 spots up to #4 at 100.56. Augustana College (Illinois) remained at #5 with 93.81 points.

West Region men's teams in the national rankings are Whitworth at #15, University of Redlands at #18 and Occidental at #24.

The Bearcats will compete at two track and field meets this weekend. On Friday, May 8, Willamette athletes will participate in running events at the Oregon Twilight in Eugene, Oregon. On Saturday, May 9, Bearcat throwers will compete in several field events at the Linfield Open in McMinnville, Oregon.