Both Washington cross country teams ranked in current USTFCCCA poll; Cougar men ranked in top 30

To the surprise of absolutely no one, the University of Washington women's cross country team remains the number one ranked team in the country after their victory at the Pre-Nationals meet over the weekend.

Its men's team moved up one spot in the USTFCCCA polls released Tuesday to number 13 after its solid performance last week.

Washington State (above/photo courtesy WSU Sports Information) is tied with Duke for 26th in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Rankings, the first time a Cougar team has been ranked in the national poll in six years.

"We're pleased to be nationally ranked," WSU cross country coach Pete Julian said. "This indicates that our program is heading in the right direction. It is important for us to get a ranking and it's always nice to know we are getting recognized. I'm really happy for the athletes but there is still a lot of hard work to do before we make it to the NCAA Championships."

The Cougar men's seventh place finish at the Indiana State University Pre-Nationals Invitational over the weekend propelled them into the top 30 this week. The WSU men were one of two unranked teams to finish ahead of four top 30-ranked teams at the highly touted event.

The last time the WSU men's cross country team earned national recognition was during the 2003 season when the team was ranked 27th in the national poll.

The complete women's and men's rankings can be accessed by clicking the link.

NOTE: The USTFCCCA contributed to this report.