Viking men move back into the USTFCCCA D2 top ten after Lewis Crossover showing...

NEW ORLEANS--After its second place performance at the Lewis Crossover in Romeoville, Illinois on Saturday, the Western Washington men's cross country team (Paul Merca photo), which entered last week's meet against a field of thirteen nationally ranked squads, moved up to number eight in the latest USTFCCCA Division II coaches' poll released Wednesday.

The number eight ranking is the highest for the Vikings so far this season.

At the Lewis Crossover, the Vikings finished behind Colorado School of Mines, and beat third-place No. 18 Colorado Christian (194), fourth place and number 10 Lewis (200), fifth place and number 16 Biola (202) and sixth place and number 4 Grand Valley State (286), which did not run all of their top runners.

The nation's top five teams are in order: Wingate, Colorado School of Mines, West Texas A&M, Grand Valley State, and Western Colorado.

The Vikings remain the only team from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in the men's coaches poll.

The Western Washington women's squad dropped four places from number 11 to number 15 in the coaches' poll after their sixth place finish at the Lewis Crossover.

Colorado School of Mines took the team title with 69 points. Behind the Miners were number 6 Lewis (114), number 2 Grand Valley State (157), number. 4 Augustana of South Dakota (188) and GNAC rival and number 19 Alaska Fairbanks (200). 

As a result of Alaska Fairbanks' fifth place finish, the Nanooks jumped ahead of the Vikings in the national poll from number 19 to number 14.

The nation's top five teams after last weekend's meets are in order: Adams State, Grand Valley State, CSU Pueblo, Colorado School of Mines, and Lewis.

Alaska Fairbanks and Western Washington are the only two GNAC schools ranked in the national poll.

None of Washington's GNAC schools are in action this weekend as they prepare for the conference championship a week from Saturday in Bellingham at Sudden Valley Golf Course.

The USTFCCCA men's poll is available here, while the women's poll is available here.

NOTE: The USTFCCCA and the sports information office of Western Washington University  contributed to this report.

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