Ferris Women's CC Vaults To Third In Nation
Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's cross country team has vaulted to third in the nation this week in the United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II National Poll announced on Wednesday (Sept. 21).
The Bulldogs, under head coach Steve Picucci, leaped from seventh in the USTFCCCA Division II Preseason Poll released in August to third after two strong showings to open the 2011 campaign.
Traditional power Western State (Colo.) is the top-ranked team in the country followed by Chico State (Calif.) and FSU in the top three overall. Defending national champion and Ferris rival Grand Valley State comes in fourth with another longtime power in Adams State (Colo.) ranked fifth.
In addition to moving up to third in the nation, the Bulldogs also leaped past GVSU in the USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Rankings and are now the top-ranked team in the region. The Lakers follow FSU as the region's second-ranked team with Southern Indiana third, Bellarmine (Ky.) in fourth and Saginaw Valley State rounding out the regional top five.
Ferris State and Grand Valley State are the only teams from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) listed among the nation's top 25 teams, but are joined in the rankings by two other regional schools in Southern Indiana (20th) and Bellarmine (22nd).
The Bulldog women's cross country team opened the season by placing four runners among the top seven finishers overall in the non-scoring Ray Helsing Bulldog Invitational (Sept. 10) hosted by FSU at Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids. The showing included a first-place effort from three-time senior All-American Tina Muir (St. Albans, U.K.), who clocked 17:50.38 in winning the 83-runner field in the 5K event.
FSU followed up the effort with a strong performance in the non-scoring Michigan State Spartan Invitational last Friday (Sept. 16) at Forest Akers East Golf Course in East Lansing, Mich. The event featured runners from Division I schools such as MSU, Michigan and Miami (Ohio) in addition to GVSU and other Division II and smaller schools. Muir again led the way by placing third overall in a competitive field with a time of 20:43 on the 6K course that featured 231 participants.
Last year (2010), the Bulldogs finished eighth overall in the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championships (12/4) in Louisville, Ky. The performance tied for the program's highest national meet finish in school history. It came after a runner-up finish in the 2010 NCAA-II Midwest Regional (11/20) also held in Louisville. The 2010 season marked FSU's third consecutive trip to the national championships.
Individually, Muir placed 11th at nationals a year ago and it marked the highest individual finish ever by a Bulldog women's cross country runner in school history. She is one of only two women's cross country All-Americans at FSU and the only three-time honoree.
Ferris State will next take part in the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday, Oct. 1, in Louisville.
In addition to the women's team's rise in the rankings, the Bulldog men's cross country team also climbed from 10th place to sixth in the NCAA-II Midwest Regional Rankings.
Below are the complete national and regional rankings:
Women's Cross Country National Team Rankings |
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2011 Week #1, September 21 |
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| Rank | Institution | Region | Conference | Location |
Last Week
|
| 1 | Western State | Central | RMAC | Gunnison, Colo. |
1
|
| 2 | Chico State | West | CCAA | Chico, Calif. |
3
|
| 3 | Ferris State | Midwest | GLIAC | Big Rapids, Mich. |
7
|
| 4 | Grand Valley State | Midwest | GLIAC | Allendale, Mich. |
2
|
| 5 | Adams State | Central | RMAC | Alamosa, Colo. |
4
|
| 6 | Alaska Anchorage | West | GNAC | Anchorage, Alaska |
5
|
| 7 | Augustana (S.D.) | Central | NSIC | Sioux Falls, S.D. |
6
|
| 8 | Shippensburg | Atlantic | PSAC | Shippensburg, Pa. |
8
|
| 9 | Queens (N.C.) | Southeast | Conf. Carolinas | Charlotte, N.C. |
9
|
| 10 | Minnesota Duluth | Central | NSIC | Duluth, Minn. |
10
|
| 11 | U-Mary | Central | NSIC | Bismarck, N.D. |
11
|
| 12 | Edinboro | Atlantic | PSAC | Edinboro, Pa. |
14
|
| 13 | Midwestern State | South Central | Lone Star | Wichita Falls, Texas |
12
|
| 14 | Stonehill | East | Northeast-10 | Easton, Mass. |
16
|
| 15 | Tampa | South | Sunshine | Tampa, Florida |
13
|
| 16 | Missouri Southern | South Central | MIAA | Joplin, Mo. |
17
|
| 17 | Lock Haven | Atlantic | PSAC | Lock Haven, Pa. |
NR
|
| 18 | Truman State | South Central | MIAA | Kirksville, Mo. |
18
|
| 19 | Cal Poly Pomona | West | CCAA | Pomona, Calif. |
24
|
| 20 | Southern Indiana | Midwest | GLVC | Evansville, Ind. |
NR
|
| 21 | Western Washington | West | GNAC | Bellingham, Wash. |
23
|
| 22 | Bellarmine | Midwest | GLVC | Louisville, Ky. |
21
|
| 23 | Pittsburg State | South Central | MIAA | Pittsburg, Kan. |
NR
|
| 24 | Nova Southeastern | South | Sunshine | Davie, Fla. |
25
|
| 25 | San Francisco State | West | CCAA | San Francisco, Calif. |
NR
|
| Dropped Out: No. 15 Hillsdale, No. 19 Millersville, No. 20 Harding, No. 22 East Stroudsburg | |||||
|
MIDWEST Region - WOMEN
|
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| Rank | School | Location | Conference |
Last Week
|
| 1 | Ferris State | Big Rapids, Mich. | GLIAC |
2
|
| 2 | Grand Valley State | Allendale, Mich. | GLIAC |
1
|
| 3 | Southern Indiana | Evansville, Ind. | GLVC |
5
|
| 4 | Bellarmine | Louisville, Ky. | GLVC |
4
|
| 5 | Saginaw Valley State | Bay City, Mich. | GLIAC |
8
|
| 6 | Ashland | Ashland, Ohio | GLIAC |
6
|
| 7 | Hillsdale | Hillsdale, Mich. | GLIAC |
3
|
| 8 | UW-Parkside | Kenosha, Wis. | GLVC |
9
|
| 9 | Northern Kentucky | Highland Heights, Ky. | GLVC |
NR
|
| 10 | Tiffin | Tiffin, Ohio | GLIAC |
7
|
|
MIDWEST Region - MEN
|
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| Rank | School | Location | Conference |
Last Week
|
| 1 | Grand Valley State | Allendale, Mich. | GLIAC |
1
|
| 2 | Southern Indiana | Evansville, Ind. | GLVC |
2
|
| 3 | Bellarmine | Louisville, Ky. | GLVC |
3
|
| 4 | Ashland | Ashland, Ohio | GLIAC |
4
|
| 5 | Hillsdale | Hillsdale, Mich. | GLIAC |
8
|
| 6 | Ferris State | Big Rapids, Mich. | GLIAC |
10
|
| 7 | Northern Kentucky | Highland Heights, Ky. | GLVC |
9
|
| 8 | UW-Parkside | Kenosha, Wis. | GLVC |
5
|
| 9 | Lewis | Romeoville, Ill. | GLVC |
7
|
| 10 | Drury | Springfield, Mo. | GLVC |
6
|
