Air Force Women Earn First-Ever National Ranking
11/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Nov. 1, 2016
NEW ORLEANS – After a program-best finish at last week's Mountain West Championships, the Air Force women's cross country team debuted at No. 29 in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's National Poll, which was released this morning (Nov. 1). It is the first time in program history that Air Force has been listed in the women's top-30.
Air Force is also the first women's team from a service academy to earn a spot in the USTFCCCA poll.
The Falcons, who earned the program's first-ever mention in the Oct. 18 poll (receiving votes), claimed three of top-six finishes in the conference meet, to finish just 11 points behind (then) seventh-ranked New Mexico and 33 points ahead of (then) No. 28 Boise State. Junior Carina Gillespie finished third in the 88-runner event – a placement that matched the best in program history – while senior Lindy Long and sophomore Jaci Smith finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
Air Force's men, who are coming off of a third-place finish at the conference meet, are receiving votes in this week's USTFCCCA National Rankings. Recording 25 points, the Falcons are 31st overall – a tally that is just three points out of the top-30. The men accounted for three of the top-seven finishes at the MW Championships – the only team to make that claim – as sophomore Jacob Bilvado, junior Andrew Johnston and senior Matt Dorsey placed fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 66-runner event.
The Falcons return to action on Friday, Nov. 11, when they travel to Logan, Utah, for the 2016 NCAA Mountain Region Championships. The meet, which is slated to begin at 11:00 a.m. (MT), will be held at the Steve and Dona Reeder Cross Country Course on the Utah State campus.
Players Mentioned
