Marie-Louise Asselin

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University cross country team cracked the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association Top 25 this week at No. 20.

West Virginia is coming off a second place finish at the Paul Short Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa., on Sept. 28. WVU placed ahead of three ranked teams at the meet with only freshmen and sophomores in the lineup.

The Top 25 ranking is the first for WVU since the 2004 team was ranked 15th going into the NCAA Championships after winning the school’s first ever Mid-Atlantic Regional title.

“This shows how hard our girls have worked and the progress they have made thus far in this program,” Cleary says.

BIG EAST member Providence is the top ranked league school at No. 18. Georgetown follows the Mountaineers at No. 21, while Syracuse received votes for the second straight week.

The Mountaineers return to action at the Penn State National Open on Oct. 12, in State College, Pa., at 4 p.m.