NEW ORLEANS-- Both
the Wichita State men's and women's cross country teams moved up in the latest NCAA
Division I regional rankings released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross
Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Monday.
The Shocker men are now ranked 11th and the Shocker women ranked
seventh in the Midwest Region.
Wichita State's men's cross country ranking marks the team's
highest since being ranked 11th in the Midwest during the 2003
season.
The Shocker women's ranking of seventh in the region marks the
team's highest of the season -- and highest since being ranked seventh the week
of Sept. 13, 2010.
On the men's side, Oklahoma State is ranked No. 1 in the
Midwest, followed by Oklahoma, Minnesota, Tulsa and Kansas in the top five. Missouri
Valley Conference teams Southern Illinois and Drake are ranked eighth and ninth
respectively in the Midwest. Indiana State is 13th in the Great
Lakes Region.
On the women's side, the Shockers hold the Valley's highest
regional ranking. Illinois State holds 11th in the Midwest, followed
by Missouri State at No. 13 and Bradley at No. 15. Iowa State is the top-ranked women's team in the Midwest,
followed by Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Northwestern in the top five.
The Shocker men's and women's teams split up to compete in
their final meets of the regular season.
Marcos Bailon and Jackson
Toroitich led the Wichita State men's cross country team to a second-place team
finish in the men's 8,000-meters at the Bradley Classic Oct. 14. Bailon
finished sixth overall in 25:03.6 and Toroitich finished eighth in 25:10.7 out
of 188 runners.
Aliphine Tuliamuk set a
Wichita State cross country record as she paced the Shocker women to tie for a
seventh-place team finish Oct. 15 at the Arkansas Chile Pepper Festival at Agri
Park. Tuliamuk finished second overall in the women's 6,000-meters with a time
of 20:04.1 in a field of 296 runners. She broke Desiraye Osburn's school record
6K time of 20:17.9, set Oct. 15, 2005. Shocker Scarla Nero finished 34th
overall in 21:33.5 and Patrober Murindat was 35th in 21:34.2.
Wichita State next competes
in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships Oct. 30 in Terre Haute, Ind. The
Shocker women won their sixth-straight team conference title in 2010, led by
individual champion Tonya Nero. The Shocker men finished seventh overall as a
team in the 2010 conference championships.
The next USTFCCCA regional
rankings are scheduled to be released Oct. 31.
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