HAVERFORD, Pa. – A strong showing at the Centennial Conference Championship has bumped the Haverford College women's cross country team up both the regional and national rankings. The Fords jumped up seven spots to No. 20 in this week's national poll after moving up to No. 2 in the Mideast Regional following their runner-up team placement at the conference championship.
The ranking of No. 20 in the latest United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Poll represents the Fords' highest ranking of the year. The team received 127 voting points in the release. Around the region, national No. 1 Johns Hopkins holds the top spot. Looking up at the Fords for the second automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championship next weekend is No. 21 Dickinson, No. 31 Elizabethtown and No. 25 Swarthmore.
Haverford's runner-up finish at the Centennial Conference Championship was headlined by a pair of all-conference performances. Katie Sullivan earned first-team All-Centennial Conference honors after placing sixth in the meet. Nora Weathers garnered second-team All-CC accolades with her eighth place finish. Amelia Keyser-Gibson and Maggie Heffernan just missed all-conference accolades, while MaryKate Cavanaugh rounded out the team's scoring runners for the meet.
Women's cross country will compete at the 2015 Mideast Regional next Saturday, November 14. The women's race is set for 11 a.m. and will be followed by the men's race at 12 p.m. The race will be held in Newville, Pa.
The next national poll will be released on Monday, November 16 after every team has completed its regional races. The NCAA Championship is set for Saturday, November 21 in Winneconne, Wisconsin.