Colorado State University Athletics
Rams women's cross country ranked 14th in nation
9/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Sept. 17, 2008
By Josh Kruger
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The CSU women's cross country team has garnered significant publicity around Fort Collins for its recent successes, including the school's first-ever Mountain West and NCAA Regional titles and winning its first two races of this season. It now appears that the national cross country community as a whole is starting to take notice.
In addition to being ranked first in the NCAA Mountain Region, the Rams' women have been ranked 14th in the entire nation in the preseason U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division I national poll.
"It's a very nice start," Head Coach Bryan Berryhill said. "We are ranked higher now than we were at the same point last year. It's great for our confidence. We feel like our goal of reaching the top 10 is definitely within reach."
After its best season in history last year, the team has gotten off to a very quick start already this season. After winning its first race of the season, the Wyoming Invitational on Aug. 29, the team followed that up by winning on home turf last weekend at the Colorado State Classic. In both races, at least five women finished in the top 10, with redshirt freshman Ellie Rastall winning both of them.
"We have a much younger team than we anticipated. Our top nine includes five freshman, two sophomores, and two juniors," Berryhill said.
The team now takes a few weeks off to prepare for the Bill Dellinger Invite on Oct. 4 in Eugene, Ore., where the heart of the Rams' schedule will commence with a meet against some of the top teams in the nation.
"The race in Oregon will be a great challenge for us," Berryhill continued. "Among the 12 to 15 teams we will be racing will be the top-ranked team from Oregon as well as the 11th-ranked team from Arkansas. We have two and a half weeks to prepare. We will be hitting it hard for a week and a half, and then taking a well deserved, and rare, break for the week leading up to the race."
Full poll results can be found at http://ustfccca.cstv.com/sports/division1/spec-rel/091608aap.html