Bearcat Women are Ranked #11 in NCAA Division III Cross Country

By Eric Spresser, Student Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University women's cross country team is ranked #11 in the NCAA Division III Poll released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) this week. In addition, the Bearcats are ranked #3 overall in the West Region.

The Bearcat women are coming off a solid second place finish at the Northwest Conference Championships, hosted by Pacific Lutheran University this past weekend in Parkland, Washington. Olivia Mancl finished in first place and Taylor Ostrander took second place in the 6-kilometer race to lead the way for the Bearcats.

Continuing to sit at the top of the women's national rankings is Johns Hopkins University (Md.), which received all eight first place votes and a perfect score of 280 points. Williams College (Mass.) remained in second with 272 points and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) held steady in third at 264.

Washington University (Mo.) moved up one position to #4 with 251 points this week, while Tufts University (Mass.) dropped one spot to #5 with 250 points. SUNY Geneseo (N.Y.) remained at #6 with 242 points, while Claremont-Mudd Scripps (Claif.) moved up one position to #7 with 230 points.

Middlebury College (Vt.) slipped down one position to #8 at 224 points, while Willamette NWC foe Whitworth University jumped three spots to #9 with 218 points. Rounding out the top 10 was Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (N.Y.) which advanced all the way from #22 in last week's rankings to #10 this week with 198 points. Willamette was #11 with 196 points.

In the latest women's West Region rankings, Claremont-Mudd Scripps continued to hold the #1 spot. Coming in at #2 this week was Whitworth, while Willamette was ranked #3. Colorado College remained at #4 and University of Redlands (Calif.) continued to be #5. 

Joining Willamette and Whitworth as NWC teams in the regional rankings were Whitman College at #8, University of Puget Sound at #9, and Linfield College at #10.

Willamette will enjoy a weekend of rest and preparation as the Bearcats focus on their next competition, which is the NCAA Division III West Regional at the Pomona College campus course in Claremont, California, on Saturday, Nov. 14. The Regional is being hosted by Occidental College this year and is scheduled to get underway with the women's race at 9 a.m. (PST).