MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University cross country team is ranked No. 5 in the final U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Associations (USTFCCCA) Division I Women’s National Poll, released today.

The No. 5 ranking matches the Mountaineers’ best mark in school history. WVU also achieved the No. 5 ranking on Oct. 21, and Oct. 28.

The Mountaineers received 308 votes in the poll and jumped one slot from last week following their win at the 2008 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship on Nov. 15. Washington (360) took first place, followed by No. 2 Oregon (343), No. 3 Florida State (337) and No. 4 Princeton (324). The Mountaineers are currently tied for first in the Mid-Atlantic region with Princeton, and are the highest ranked BIG EAST squad in front of No. 7 Villanova.

The Mountaineers were ranked in the top 10 all season by the USTFCCCA. The Mountaineers were No. 6 in the preseason poll, and then fell to No. 9 in the first week of competition. WVU jumped two spots to No. 7 for two consecutive weeks, before earning the No. 5 ranking for the following two weeks. WVU then dropped to No. 6 on Nov. 4 and stayed there last week before moving up to No. 5 in today’s final poll.

WVU earned 51 total points to tie Princeton at last week’s regional championship, while six Mountaineers were named to the All-Mid-Atlantic Region team.

With the win, WVU automatically qualifies for the NCAA National Championships, which will take place on Nov. 24, in Terre Haute, Ind.

This will be the first back-to-back appearances for the Mountaineers at nationals. WVU has made a total of four previous appearances at nationals: 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2007.

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