INDIANAPOLIS - The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released its Week Four Poll on Wednesday. The Great Midwest Athletic Conference programs earned recognition on both the men’s and women’s side.
The Hillsdale women’s team again is ranked highest of any other Great Midwest program, this time coming in at fifth in the nation among Division II programs. The Chargers finished second behind only top ranked Grand Valley State University this past weekend at the Greater Louisville Classic.
Behind Hillsdale and rounding out the Top 10 for the first time this season are the Walsh Cavaliers. After being ranked 19
th in last week’s edition of the poll, the Cavaliers won the All-Ohio Championships and jumped nine spots to tenth.
The Cedarville women’s team dropped from the Top 10 with the emergence of the Cavaliers. The Yellow Jackets are now ranked 17
th after being 10
th last week after finishing 3
rd behind Walsh at the All-Ohio Championships.
The final team on the women’s side is a newcomer to the Top 25. Malone comes in at 22
nd after receiving votes last week. The Pioneers finished second at the All-Ohio Championships and jumped into the Top 25 for the first time since Week One, when they were ranked 21
st.
On the men’s side, Malone is the lone team recognized on the men’s side. The Pioneer men find themselves in the Top 25 for the first time this season after winning the All-Ohio Championships on the men’s side.
The USTFCCCA also released their weekly Regional Rankings on Tuesday. The Great Midwest had eight programs between the men’s and women’s teams.
The Hillsdale women’s team remained second behind Grand Valley State. Walsh moved up to fourth, moving up one spot since last week. Cedarville fell one spot to fifth and Malone rounds out the Great Midwest representation, jumping from seventh to sixth.
In the men’s Midwest Regional rankings this week, Malone and Walsh switched places from last week’s poll, with Malone being ranked fifth and Walsh coming in right behind them in sixth. Cedarville’s men made the biggest jump going from tenth to seventh, and the final team represented comes in Hillsdale in ninth.