Posted 9/4/07

By Keith J. Nunez, USTF/CCCA

NEW ORLEANS – The Division III Cross Country preseason regional polls were announced today by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, and UW-Platteville is fifth in both the Midwest Region men's and women's polls.

Eight regions represent D-III cross country with last year's D-III cross country men's national champion, Calvin College, leading the way this year as the number one ranked team in the Great Lakes men’s regional.

Last year's women's D-III champion, Middlebury College starts the year ranked fourth in the New England women’s regional.

*Midwest Region *

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse holds down the top spot in the men's Midwest region and return five runners from last year's team which finished 11th at the national meet. North Central College follows UW-La Crosse at number two and looks to win their 34th consecutive CCIW title this fall. The Cardinals finished 13th at the national meet a year ago.

Wheaton College is ranked third followed by Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Wisconsin-Platteville. UW-Platteville finished 26th overall at the NCAA DIII national meet in 2006 under Coach Tom Antczak.

The number one ranked team in the women's region is Washington University. Washington finished fourth overall at the national meet after winning the Midwest regional title.

Wisconsin-Eau Claire follows Washington University at number two in the poll. Eau Claire finished 12th at the national meet.

Wisconsin-La Crosse, Wheaton and Wisconsin-Platteville take spots three through five respectively and complete the women's Midwest region top five.

*Great Lakes Region*

Calvin College’s women are also ranked number one. They finished third at last year’s national meet. Case Western Reserve comes in at number two followed by Depauw University at three. Oberlin College and Ohio Wesleyan University complete the top five in the women’s region.

*Atlantic Region*

New York University is the top ranked team in the men’s region as they return all five of their top runners from the team a year ago. NYU finished as the runner-up to Calvin at the 2006 D-III national meet after winning their first ever University Athletic Association (UAA) and Atlantic Region championships.

SUNY Cortland follows NYU at number two. Cortland finished fourth at last year’s D-III national meet, their best finish in program history. Rounding out the men’s top five is the College of New Jersey, SUNY Geneseo and St. Lawrence University.

The women’s region is lead by SUNY Geneseo, ninth at last year’s national meet, followed by SUNY Plattsburgh. Last year’s region runner-up, the College of New Jersey, ranks third. The Lions finished 22^nd last year at the national meet. Ithaca College and St. Lawrence University complete the top five teams in the women’s region.

*Mideast Region*

Haverford College takes the top honor in the men’s region as they look to improve upon last year’s tenth place finish at nationals. The Fords are also trying to capture their 15^th straight Centennial Conference title since the conferences inception.

Last year’s third place finisher at nationals, Allegheny College, returns one All-American and six All-North Coast Conference runners to their 2007 squad. Carnegie Mellon University (12th at nationals in ‘06), Dickinson College and Johns Hopkins University round out the top five.

The Mideast women are led by Dickinson College. Last year Dickinson finished sixth overall at the D-III national meet after winning the Mideast Regional title. Haverford’s women hold down the second spot in the poll followed by Johns Hopkins, Allegheny and Salisbury University to complete the top five.

*West Region*

In the West, Colorado College sits in the one spot as they return all five of their top runners from a year ago, three of whom qualified as individuals for the national meet. The Tigers are followed by Willamette University, last year’s West Region champ. The Bearcats finished 27^th overall at the national meet in 2006.

Occidental College comes in at number three followed by the University of Puget Sound and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

Willamette’s women also won the West Region title a year ago and ranks first in the preseason poll. Willamette’s women finished 20^th overall at the national meet and are followed by Puget Sound and Whitman College. Colorado College and Lewis & Clark College complete the top five in the women’s West region.

*New England Region*

The Williams Ephs return three of their top seven runners from their 2006 team which won the NESCAC, ECAC and New England Region championships en route to a seventh place finish at the D-III national meet.

Brandeis University ranks third followed by Amherst College and Keene State College, who are tied for fourth.

Leading the way for the New England women is last year’s national runner-up, Amherst College, who finished one-point shy of a national championship to Middlebury College. The Jeffs also finished second to Middlebury at the region meet.

The Williams College women rank second in the poll followed by Tufts University. Last year’s D-III national champion, Middlebury, is ranked fourth with Keene State at number five.

*South/Southeast Region*

Emory University comes in at number one after a year in which they finished third at the regional meet. Following Emory is Rhodes College, ranked second. Last year Rhodes finished as the runner-up at the South/Southeast regional meet before going on to finish 21^st overall at the national meet.

Last year’s regional champion, Centre College comes in at number three followed by the University of Mary Washington and Washington & Lee University.

Emory’s women also hold down the top spot like their male counterparts. Emory’s women finished 14^th at the D-III nationals a year ago. Trinity University follows Emory at number two, with Washington & Lee University coming in at number three in the South/Southeast Region preseason poll.

The University of Mary Washington and Rhodes round out the top five schools in the women’s regional.

*Central Region*

St. John’s University (MN) leads the way for the men in the Central Region. The Johnnies return six of their seven runners from their 2006 team which finished fifth overall at the D-III national meet. Wartburg College ranks second behind St. John’s and returns five runners from their ’06 team. Wartburg finished third at the regional meet and 23^rd overall at the national meet.

Nebraska Wesleyan University should contend for the regional title as they return six members from last year’s squad. Luther College and Carleton College complete the top five in the men’s region.

On the women’s side, the top ranked team is Grinnell College. Grinnell finished seventh a year ago at the women’s national meet. They are followed by Luther College which finished 11^th at nationals.

The top five in the women’s Central Region is completed by Nebraska Wesleyan, Carleton College and St. Thomas University.

For a complete listing of the top ten teams in each region please visit www.ustfccca.org.