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Pac-12 cross country teams highly ranked entering weekend of competitive races

Sep 26, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO – Pac-12 Conference cross country programs remained relatively steady in Tuesday’s United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) polls. For the third consecutive week, a national-best six top-10 teams are among 10 from the Pac-12 in the rankings entering a major weekend of racing across the nation.

MEN’S                                                              WOMEN’S
2. Stanford (2 first-place votes)                        1. Colorado (11 first-place votes)
4. Colorado                                                       2. Oregon
8. Oregon                                                          5. Stanford
11. Washington State                                       11. Washington
23. UCLA                                                          27. Utah
RV: California                                                   

The three Pac-12 men’s and women’s teams in the top 10 are the most of any conference, and the six total top-10 teams are double the next closest league (Big Ten).

The league’s top three women’s teams – No. 1 COLORADO, No. 2 OREGON and No. 5 STANFORD – all maintained their spots, while WASHINGTON climbed one spot to No. 11 and UTAH dropped one to No. 27. The Pac-12’s five ranked women’s teams trail only the Big Ten’s seven.

The Conference’s top four men’s teams held steady with No. 2 Stanford, No. 4 Colorado, No. 8 Oregon and No. 11 WASHINGTON STATE leading the way. UCLA fell three spots to No. 23 despite a strong third-place showing behind No. 15 Colorado State and No. 21 Michigan State at Minnesota’s Roy Griak Invitational this past weekend. The five ranked men’s teams are the most of any conference in the nation.

A quintet of major races dot this week’s calendar with a month remaining until the 2017 Pac-12 Championships hosted by Oregon at Springfield Golf Club in Springfield, Ore., on Friday, Oct. 27. Oregon and Springfield Golf Club will host the Bill Dellinger Invitational, while Colorado will host its 32nd annual Rocky Mountain Shootout. Pac-12 teams will also compete in marquee national races at Notre Dame’s Joe Piane Invitational, Lehigh's Paul Short Invitational and Sacramento State’s Capital Cross Challenge.

The NCAA Mountain and West Regionals will be held Friday, Nov. 10 in Logan, Utah and Seattle, Wash., respectively, with teams advancing to the 2017 NCAA Championships in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday, Nov. 18.

The Pac-12 will be looking to add to its distinction as the winningest conference in NCAA Cross Country history this fall as current league members boast the most combined team national championships (28 – 16 men/12 women) and individual titles (28 – 25 men/3 women) of any league in the country.