Coach Jim Nickasch and his Pioneers are ranked

Both UW-Platteville track and field teams are nationally ranked by the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association.

Coach Jim Nickasch's men are 23rd, while his women are 25th in their respective polls, which use performance-based formulas. Augustana is ranked first in the men's poll, while Tufts tops the initial women's list. Nine of the men's teams and eight of the women's are from the Midwest Region.

The Pioneers will see many of those ranked schools in the upcoming weeks. They compete at the Wartburg Select Meet Saturday, then play host to another high-powered meet the next Saturday. The nine-school Nike/Impact Sports Platteville Invitational begins at 10 a.m. on Feb. 14.