(Courtesy Adams State)

NEW ORLEANS— After posting a perfect-score win in the season-opening Joe I. Vigil Open on Sept. 11, the Adams State College women’s cross country team remained first in both the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Central Region and National Rankings released Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

The Grizzly men also remained as the No. 1 team in both sets of rankings.

The Grizzly women, who have won seven straight NCAA Division II titles, have now been ranked first in the country in 25 of the last 31 sets of rankings dating back to the 2007.  They have been ranked first in the region, made up of members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, for 31 straight polls.

The top 10 of the national poll was largely unchanged as each of the top seven teams remained steady.   Grand Valley State (Mich.), last year’s runner-up, remained ranked second.  Alaska-Anchorage, Shippensburg (Pa.), Chico State (Calif.) are also in the top 5 in that order.

Minnesota-Duluth and Western Washington are ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, while Western State moved up one spot to eighth.  Tampa (Fla.) also moved up a spot to ninth while Ferris State (Mich.) climbed two spots into the top 10.

The regional rankings also remained largely unchanged as each of the top seven teams also stayed put with Minnesota-Duluth, Western State, Augustana (S.D.), Mary (N.D.), Mesa State and Colorado Mines all being slotted behind the Grizzlies.  Augustana remained 11th in the national rankings while Mary slipped one spot to No. 20.

Further down the regional rankings, Winona State (Minn.) and Minnesota State each moved up a spot to ninth and tenth, respectively, while Metro State slid into the No. 10 spot.

The Grizzlies rested last week and will be off again this week before resuming action Oct. 2 at the Rocky Mountain Shootout, which will be hosted by the University of Colorado, currently 11th in the USTFCCCA’s Division I National Rankings.

Courtesy Adams State Sports Information