Washington men move up one in latest USTFCCCA national rating index...

NEW ORLEANS--Cass Elliott's (UW Athletics photo) school record in the 400 hurdles helped move the Washington men's track team up one spot in the latest USTFCCCA NCAA Division I National Rating Index released Monday.

At the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson Saturday night, Elliott ran 49.26 to break the 13-year old school record of 49.51 set by Shane Charles to take the win in convincing fashion.

Elliott's mark is the fourth fastest time in NCAA Division I so far this season.

The other new mark made by a Husky came from Jonathan Birchman in the same race, as he ran a personal best 50.40 to finish fifth. That mark is the 20th best in Division I this season.

The nation's top five men's teams are in order: Texas Tech, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Pac-12 schools in the top 25 include number 13 Arizona State, number 17 Stanford, number 19 USC, number 20 California, and number 25 Arizona.

With no top marks added over the weekend, the Washington women dropped four positions to number 23 in this week's ranking index.

The nation's top five women's teams are in order: Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Oregon, and USC.

Other Pac-12 schools in the national top 25 include number 14 Utah, number 15 Oregon State, and number 17 Stanford.

Only marks from the current season are used to compile the ratings index.

The Pac-12 track & field championship meet is May 12-14 at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California.

The USTFCCCA release is available here.

GNAC MULTI EVENTS DAY 1 RECAP...

In Nampa, Idaho, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships got underway with the first day of the combined events championships at the Bohner Track on the campus of Northwest Nazarene University.

In the women's heptathlon, Matty Lagerway of Western Washington stands third at the break with 2762 points, 97 points behind first day leader Jenelle Hurley of Western Oregon.

McCall DeChenne of Central Washington is fourth with 2746 points, while Hannah Chang of Seattle Pacific is fifth at 2708, and Ellie DeGroot of Central Washington is eighth with 2633 points.

Chang won the 100 hurdles in 14.53 to take the early lead with a score of 905 points, which was the best score compiled in a single event on the day.

Hurley proceeded to win the next three events--the high jump (5-3.25/1.61m), shot put (30-0.25/9.15m), and 200 meters (26.11) to take the first day lead.

JJ Walker of Western Oregon holds the lead in the decathlon with 3548 points.

Ryan Kenny of Western Washington is fifth with 3409 points, 139 points out of first.

Andrew Boyd of Saint Martin's is sixth with 3326 points, while Austin Seals of Western Washington is seventh at 3311 points, and Drew Klein of Central Washington is eighth with 3246 points at the break.

On the day, Kenny won the 100 meters in a time of 11.23 seconds. Boyd won the shot put with a mark of 42 feet, 3.25 inches (12.88m) and Seals won the 400 meters in 51.31 seconds.

The combined events championship resumes Tuesday starting at 10 am Pacific time.

The link to live results of the GNAC Combined Events is available here.

NOTE: The USTFCCCA, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, and the media relations department of the University of Washington contributed to this report.

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