Cross Country Debuts in USTFCCCA National Rankings
10/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Oct. 18, 2016
NEW ORLEANS – Following a strong weekend at the Pre-National Invitational, the Air Force cross country team debuted in both the men's and women's national standings today (Oct. 18), as the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association unveiled its weekly rankings.
The men made their season debut at No. 28 in the national rankings, while the women received votes for their first-ever listing in the USTFCCCA coaches' poll.
Backed by top-45 individual finishes from junior Andrew Johnston (33rd), senior Kyle Eller (44th) and sophomore Jacob Bilvado (45th), the men finished seventh out of 40 teams last Saturday in Terre Haute, recording the highest finish of teams not (then) ranked and bettering five teams mentioned in the last coaches' poll.
The men's No. 28 placement marks the fourth-straight year that Air Force has earned a top-30 ranking in the weekly poll. In addition, that ranking matches the program's highest season debut since 2005.
The women received their first-ever mention in the USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll after a stellar 10th-place team finish at the 42-team Pre-Nationals race last weekend. Junior Carina Gillespie (14th) and sophomore Jaci Smith (40th) paced the Falcons to the highest finish in program history at that meet, bettering six nationally-mentioned squads and finishing as the highest (then) unranked team.
The women's 16 votes, which tied for 33rd in this week's national rankings, is the program's first USTFCCCA mention ever at the Division I level. In addition, it is the most votes ever recorded by a women's service academy squad.
Air Force returns to action on Friday, Oct. 28, when it travels to Kuna, Idaho, for the 2016 Mountain West Cross Country Championships. The meet, which is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. MT, will be held at Falcon Crest Golf Club.
Players Mentioned
