Both Husky squads advance in final USTFCCCA national coaches' poll...

Fred Huxham, Talon Hull and Tanner Anderson
of Washington compete at the NCAA West
Regionals in Sacramento (Paul Merca photo)

NEW ORLEANS—With the NCAA cross country championships only five days away, the USTFCCCA released its final Division I regular season coaches’ rankings Monday.

Both University of Washington cross country teams, buoyed by solid performances at the NCAA West Regionals in Sacramento on Friday, moved up in the polls.

The Washington men advanced to sixth in the national coaches’ poll from #7, while the women moved three spots to #14. The #6 ranking is the highest by a Husky men’s team since the USTFCCCA began the national ranking system.

After the nine regional championships contested around the country, the nation’s top five men’s teams are, in order: defending national champion Northern Arizona, BYU, Wisconsin, West Region champ Portland, and Iowa State.

Other Pac-12 schools ranked include #7 Stanford, #8 Colorado, and #12 Oregon.

Out of the West region, the only other ranked team is #9 Boise State.

The nation’s top five women’s teams entering the national championships are in order: defending national champion New Mexico, West regional champ Oregon, Boise State & Colorado (tie for #3), and Arkansas.

Pac-12 schools ranked in the top 30 include #7 Stanford, and #29 Oregon State, which qualified for the national championships for the first time in school history.

The other school from the West Region that was ranked in the final regular season coaches’ poll was #23 Portland.

The USTFCCCA release is available here.

NOTE:  The USTFCCCA contributed to this report.