Vikings keep their hold on national rankings heading into NCAA D2 XC champs...
NEW ORLEANS--With the various regional qualifying meets around the country complete, and the teams & individuals selected for next weekend's NCAA Division II cross country championships in Kenosha, Wisconsin, both Western Washington teams (WWU Athletics photo) maintain their grip of the national rankings in the final regular season USTFCCCA national Division II coaches poll released Wednesday.
The Viking men's squad, who are ranked number 12 in the country, finished second at the West regionals in Monmouth, Oregon last Saturday behind 11th ranked Chico State by a 75-88 margin to grab an automatic qualifying berth, and their fifteenth appearance at the national championships. Western moved up one spot in the national polls this week.
The nation's top five teams going into the national championships are in order: Wingate, Adams State, Colorado School of Mines, Grand Valley State, and Lee (Tennessee).
The women of Western Washington, who are ranked number 18 in this week's poll, earned the program's twelfth berth into the national championships after finishing third and grabbed the final automatic qualifying spot in Monmouth. Western moves up two spots from two weeks ago. It's the Vikings highest ranking so far this season.
Ahead of the Vikings at regionals were team champions Chico State with 40 points and previously unranked Cal Poly Pomona with 86 points. Chico State goes into the national championships ranked number 9, while Cal Poly Pomona rockets all the way up to number 15 after last weekend's performance.
The nation's top five women's teams going into the national championships are in order: Grand Valley State, Adams State, Colorado School of Mines, UC-Colorado Springs, and Western Colorado.
NOTE: The USTFCCCA and the sports information office of Western Washington contributed to this report.
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