Aug. 30, 2010
NEW ORLEANS - The 2010 collegiate cross country season will begin this upcoming week and weekend with several meets across the country, and in advance of the season-openers the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) will trot out the first set of rankings this week. Today marks the first regional rankings of the year, with the Husky women back at the No. 1 spot, where they have finished the past two seasons. The regional rankings are a reflection of a team's strengths entering the year based on returning and new runners on each squad as selected by a representative in each region. A total of 15 teams in each region are ranked. The Huskies rank No. 1 in the West Region, ahead of a Pac-10 heavy group including No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Arizona, and No. 5 Arizona State. The Huskies have won the last two NCAA West Regional Championship titles. On the men's side, the Huskies were ranked eighth out West, a bit of a surprise considering they placed fourth at Regionals last year and were 18th at the NCAA Championships. But Washington did lose three seniors from the top of their lineup, so voters may want to see how it responds with new personnel. National rankings will be released on Tuesday. The Huskies are currently stationed at Fort Flagler near Port Townsend for their annual fall training camp. Their season begins this Friday with a dual meet against Washington State in Ephrata, Washington. |
