Both Viking squads ranked in this week's USTFCCCA national top 30 cross country poll...
NEW ORLEANS--With one full week of competition in the books for the nation's Division II schools, the Western Washington men's team, fresh off a victory at the season opening Puget Sound Invitational on September 2nd, maintained its hold on the number 10 position in the first USTFCCCA in-season coaches poll released Wednesday.
With both GNAC competitors Seattle Pacific and Central Washington in the field, the Vikings placed five runners, led by Portland State transfer Samuel Lingwall (#793/Paul Merca photo) in the top ten to win the meet with a low score of 30 points.
The nation's top five D2 men's teams are in order: defending national champion Colorado School of Mines, Adams State, Wingate, Grand Valley State, and Chico State.
The only other GNAC school in the national top 30 is Simon Fraser at number 28.
After placing the top 15 runners across the line at the Puget Sound Invitational, the Viking women's squad enters the national rankings for the first time this season, coming in at number 29.
The nation's top five D2 women's teams are in order: Adams State, Grand Valley State, Colorado School of Mines, Winona State, and UC-Colorado Springs.
Western Washington is the only GNAC women's team ranked in the national top 30 this week.
MORE FROM WORLD ATHLETICS ROAD RUNNING CHAMPS...
USA Track & Field announced that new world road mile record holder and University of Washington volunteer coach Sam Prakel was selected to run at the World Athletics Road Running championships in Riga, Latvia on October 1st.
Prakel, the reigning US national champion in the road mile will run his specialty, which was recently recognized by World Athletics as an official world record event.
Prakel's time of 4:01.21 at the USATF Road Mile Championships in Des Moines on April 25th was submitted to World Athletics as the initial record-eligible performance, pending the usual ratification process, which includes doping control and shoe compliance.
At last November's World Athletics Council Meeting, the mile was voted in as an official world record event. Prakel's mark was the fastest recorded road mile recorded between January 1 and September 1st, thus giving him the initial world record.
Former Husky Jack Rowe was named to Great Britain's team in the half marathon.
Prakel and Rowe join UW alums Kieran Lumb (mile) of Canada, and Izzi Batt-Doyle (half marathon) of Australia, who announced their participation at the world road running championships earlier in the week.
NOTE: The USTFCCCA and World Athletics contributed to this report.
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