Both Husky Squads Rank Third In National Poll

Friday, August 30

Seattle, WA

11:00 AM

University of Washington

UW - Seattle U. Open

August 27, 2019 | Cross Country

Complete Men's Rankings Complete Women's Rankings

By: UW Athletic Communications

SEATTLE – Washington's cross country squads are still a couple days out from reporting to campus, but excitement for the upcoming fall season is starting to percolate, as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association put both the UW men and women at No. 3 today in its preseason national rankings. The men's No. 3 ranking is its highest in the history of the poll which dates to 1995.

Coming off a pair of top-10 NCAA finishes last year, and the best combined NCAA finish in program history, the Huskies have earned preseason respect from coaches around the country. But coaches Maurica and Andy Powell know that early rankings won't save them any seconds on the course.

"We don't put any stock into preseason rankings because they reflect nothing that's actually happened yet," said Director of Track & Field Maurica Powell. "We're excited about the group we have and we're healthy, but a lot of great teams can say the same thing. Arkansas has an incredibly talented group, New Mexico always finds its way to the podium, and there are four really good teams just in our conference alone."

The women placed ninth at NCAAs last year and will return a pair of All-Americans in Katie Rainsberger and Lilli Burdon, along with several other veterans with NCAA experience or who are coming off their best track seasons such as Allie Schadler, Shona McCulloch, and Kaitlyn Neal.

Defending champion Colorado is ranked first on the women's side followed by New Mexico and then Michigan at No. 4 and Stanford at No. 5.

The men's team had its second-best finish in program history last year, finishing sixth, and have an All-American returner in Tibebu Proctor along with Pac-12 runner-up Talon Hull and NCAA returners in Gavin Parpart and Mick Stanovsek to go with a highly-touted recruiting class.

Northern Arizona is the top-ranked men's team followed by BYU and then the Huskies, with Colorado and Iowa State rounding out the top-five.

Men's Head Coach Andy Powell said, "Rankings won't get you to the national meet, it won't get you a trophy; it's what you do between now and the Regional meet and the third week in November that matters. Our team has a long way to go until the end of the season. We're just reporting this week and this is when the team really needs to buckle down and start working."

On Monday, both the men and women were also ranked No. 1 in the West Region preseason poll, a first in school history.

Just a day after reporting, the coaches will get an early glimpse of the teams as the Huskies and Seattle U. meet up at Magnuson Park this Friday, Aug. 30, for the UW – Seattle U. Open which starts at 11 a.m.

The women will have a three-mile run around a loop in the park starting at 11 and the men will go at 11:45 a.m. with a four-mile race against an up-and-coming Redhawks squad.

Maurica Powell says that all of Washington's returners will race on the women's side this weekend and the plan for the men's team is similar with most of the returners planning to suit up.