FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 9, 2008

Contact: K.E. Schwab  

724.738.2199

 karl.schwab@sru.edu

SRU women’s cross country team ranked 14th in nation

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Fresh off their third first-place team finish in as many meets this fall, The Rock women's cross country team earned a No. 14 ranking in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division II national poll.

The Rock was ranked 25th a week ago, but leaped upward in the wake of its effort in last Saturday's SRU Pre-National Invitational at Cooper's Lake Campground.

SRU tied with then-No. 66/now No. 16 Cal State Los Angeles for the team title in last Saturday's competition.

That first-place finish was the Green and White's third in three competitions this fall. The Rock was the sole owner of the team titles in both the California University of Pennsylvania Invitational and Indiana University of Pennsylvania Invitational. 

This week's national ranking is the highest attained by The Rock this fall. SRU began the season unranked in the USTFCCCA preseason national poll before it grabbed the No. 22 spot in the first regular-season poll Sept. 10.

SRU remained at No. 22 the following week, then dropped to No. 25 in the Sept. 24 poll and remained there for the Oct. 1 poll.

Adams State is the top-ranked team in the USTFCCCA national poll.

The Rock remained the fourth ranked team in the USTFCCCA Atlantic Regional poll for the fifth successive week after being the No. 6 team in the preseason regional poll.

Ranked ahead of The Rock in the regional poll are Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference rivals Shippensburg at No. 6, Edinboro, 12, and Kutztown, 13.

The Rock men's team is also ranked fourth in the region, but is not ranked among the top 25 nationally.

The Rock is idle this weekend before preparing for the Oct. 17 Spiked Shoe Invitational hosted by Penn State University. 

The Rock women have a chance to improve both their regional and national rankings at Penn State since SRU, Shippensburg and Kutztown are all scheduled to compete in the race. The three teams will join Edinboro and the rest of the PSAC squads in the conference championships Nov. 1 in Lock Haven.

The Rock will then host both the Atlantic Regional (Nov. 8) and NCAA Division II national championship races at Cooper's Lake Nov. 22. 

 The Spiked Shoe, conference, regional and national meets all include both women's and men's competitions.

Slippery Rock University is Pennsylvania’s premier public residential university. Slippery Rock University provides students with a comprehensive learning experience that intentionally combines academic instruction with enhanced educational and learning opportunities that make a positive difference in their lives.