Huskies rewarded with number 13 ranking in USTFCCCA D1 coaches' poll after McNichols Invite...
NEW ORLEANS--After entering the season unranked by the national voters in the pre season USTFCCCA Division I coaches poll, the University of Washington men's team were rewarded for their efforts at last week's John McNichols Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana by earning a number 13 ranking in the first in-season national poll, released Tuesday morning.
The Huskies took down twelve teams ranked in the pre-season national top 30 at the McNichols Invitational, led by third year runner Tyrone Gorze (#811/UW Athletics photo), who was their top finisher, placing 13th over the 8k course, where he ran 24:01.
More telling than his 13th place finish was that the Huskies stacked four runners inside the top 50 starting with Josiah Tostenson's 41st place finish in 24:25, Nathan Neil 43rd in 24:26, Jamar Distel in 44th in the same time, and Isaac Briggs in 49th in 24:30. The Dawgs' 1-5 split was 29 seconds.
Meanwhile, Washington State, which finished fifth at McNichols, dropped five spots to number 16 from their number 11 ranking in the pre-season poll, despite the top five finishes in the race by All-Americans Evans Kurui and Solomon Kipchoge, who ran 23:38 and 23:48.
There were no changes in the national top five. They are in order: Oklahoma State, New Mexico, Iowa State, Alabama, and Oregon.
Other teams from the Big Ten in the national top 30 include number 11 Wisconsin, and number 18 Michigan State.
Washington State is the only Pac 12 school in the men's national top 30.
The Cougar women's squad, which finished third at the McNichols Invitational, moved up three spots from number 21 to number 18 in the national poll.
Washington State was led by three runners who finished in the top 25, including freshman Millie Bii, who was sixth in 19:57 over the 6k course. She was followed by Nelly Jemeli in 18th in 20:29, and Caroline Jepkorir in 25th in 20:44.
Lauren Hoyt followed in 35th in 20:54, and Mercy Biwott closed out the Cougars scorers in 37th in 20:55.
Washington, which only ran a squad consisting of three upperclassmen and the rest true freshmen, dropped one spot to number 23 in the national poll, led by first year runner Abigail Hennessy, who was 29th in 20:49.
The national top five squads in this week's poll are in order: NC State, New Mexico, BYU, Iowa State, and Oregon. BYU and Iowa State changed positions from the pre-season poll.
Other Big Ten teams in the national top 30 include number 12 Northwestern, number 13 Penn State, and number 24 Minnesota.
Boise State at number 30 joins Washington State as the second Pac 12 team in the national poll.
The Huskies have a short turnaround after competing last week on the course that will host the NCAA championships in November, as they, along with Gonzaga, will race at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational in Chicago on Friday.
NOTE: USTFCCCA and the sports information office of the University of Washington contributed to this report.
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