Both Washington and Gonzaga cross country teams ranked in USTFCCCA pre-season top 30...
NEW ORLEANS--Both University of Washington and Gonzaga cross country squads are ranked in the national top 30 in the 2024 USTFCCCA Division I pre-season coaches poll released Tuesday.
The Washington women (Paul Merca photo), who finished eighth at last year's NCAA championships for their highest team finish in Husky director Maurica Powell's time at Montlake, are ranked number five in the initial poll.
The national pre-season top five are: defending national champion North Carolina State, and last year's runner-up Northern Arizona, who are tied for number one; number three Notre Dame; number four Oregon, and the Huskies at five.
Gonzaga is ranked number 25 in the pre-season poll.
Other Big Ten teams ranked in the initial top 25 include number 18 Michigan State, and number 19 Wisconsin.
Jake Stewart's Gonzaga squad is the only team from the West Coast Conference ranked in the nation's top 30.
Washington comes in at number 25 in the first men's poll, while Gonzaga, the defending West Coast Conference champions, are ranked at number 30.
Big Ten teams ranked in the top 30 include number 13 Wisconsin, number 21 Oregon, and number 27 Michigan.
Portland is the only other team from the WCC ranked, coming in at number 16.
Gonzaga opens its 2024 campaign Friday August 30th in Cheney at the Clash of the Inland Northwest hosted by Eastern Washington on campus at 8:30 am, while the Huskies open the season on September 3rd with a dual meet against Seattle University at Magnuson Park, just north of the UW campus.
WORLD U20 CHAMPS RECAP...
No athletes with Washington ties are competing on the first day of the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Lima, Peru.
USA Track & Field elected not to enter a team in the mixed 4 x 400 meter relay qualifying Tuesday morning, which would have opened up the possibility of Alex Rhodes of the University of Puget Sound and Grant Buckmiller of Washington State to compete.
Carnation native and Duke University freshman Braelyn Baker, the reigning US national champion, runs in the first round of the women's 400 hurdles at 7:17 am Pacific/9:17 am local time.
Baker goes in heat 3 of six, with the top three in each heat, plus six time qualifiers advancing to the semifinals on Friday.
The World Athletics U20 championships microsite is available here. Peacock ($) is streaming the meet, starting at 7 am Pacific.
NOTE: The USTFCCCA contributed to this report.
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