FAIRBANKS, Alaska - The Alaska Nanooks women's cross country team moved up one spot to take over fifth place on the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association West Region Rankings this week. It is their highest ranking this season and comes on the heels of their solid fourth-place finish at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships last weekend in Yakima, Wash.
Alaska's women are third among GNAC teams listed in this week's poll, behind nationally ranked No. 7 Alaska Anchorage (2nd) and No. 16 Western Washington. Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona of the Californial Collegiate Athletic Assocation are ranked first and fourth, respectively in the region.
The women's team, lead by senior and GNAC All-Conference selection
Theresia Schnurr, tied the program record for highest finish at the confernce championships. It was the fourth time in program history Alaska's women were fourth at the league championships (1997/Pac West, 2002, 2010, 2011). While UAA, Simon Fraser and WWU beat out the Nanooks last weekend, the Blue and Gold gained confidence in knowing they trailed the nationally ranked Vikings by just 10 points in the overall team standings, a gap they will look to close at Regionals next weekend.
The top four teams at the NCAA West Region Championships (Nov. 5) automatically qualify for the NCAA Division II NCAA Championships, scheduled for Saturday, November 19, in Spokane, Wash.
