First Regular DI Poll Places Wisconsin, Washington Up Top

NEW ORLEANS – In the first regular poll of the 2012 NCAA Division I Cross Country season, Wisconsin’s men and Washington’s women were selected as the top teams in the country by voters of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Wisconsin, the defending national men’s champion, keeps their preseason top perch, notching nine of 12 first-place votes. Washington overtook Oregon from the No. 1 spot, a place the Ducks held in the preseason poll two weeks ago. Washington’s women won the national title in 2008, finished as the nation’s runner up a year ago, and were last voted as the top team in the country on November 17, 2009.

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The top six men’s teams remain unchanged from the preseason poll, including No. 2 Oklahoma State, No. 3 BYU, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 5 Colorado, and No. 6 Texas. Moving up one spot to No. 14, Texas A&M improved their best-ever showing in the poll. The Pac-12 leads all conferences with five men’s teams – No. 5 Colorado, No. 9 Stanford, No. 22 Oregon, No. 26 Washington State, and No. 29 UCLA – ranked in the nation’s top 30.

Four women’s teams are receiving first-place votes. No. 2 Oregon actually received more first-place votes, five, than No. 1 Washington’s four. No. 3 Florida State notched two first-place votes while No. 4 Georgetown, the defending NCAA champions, gained one. Toledo jumped five spots to No. 18, their highest position in the history of the poll. The Dons of San Francisco gained a spot to No. 19 to improve their all-time best ranking. The Big East and Pac-12 both have five women’s teams in the top 30 to lead all leagues. The Big East sports No. 4 Georgetown, No. 7 Providence, No. 10 Villanova, No. 20 Syracuse, and No. 21 Notre Dame. Along with five in the top 30, the Pac-12 has three in the top ten with Washington, Oregon, and No. 8 Stanford.