Oct. 18, 2005

When the number three went up next to Columbia's name at the Pre-Nationals last Saturday, indicating the Lion women's cross country team had finished third of 34 teams in the Blue race at the nation's most prestigious in-season college cross country race, heads turned. People noticed. Coaches noticed.

Especially the coaches who make up the voting panel of the Women's Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association.

They have awarded Columbia the nation's number seven ranking in the latest FinishLynx NCAA Division I National Poll. Interestingly, the two schools directly behind Columbia's 307 voting points, Brigham Young with 301 and North Carolina State with 285, were both ranked well above the Lions in the previous poll. Both finished just behind Columbia, tied for fourth, in the Pre-Nationals race, which was held at Indiana State University.

Head coach Willy Wood was pleased with the ranking, the highest ever for a Columbia women's cross country team in the national poll. It means more, he noted, than rankings in previous polls.

"This ranking," he said, "is more substantial than the previous polls, because it was derived primarily from the results of head-to-head competition which we had this weekend."

But Wood and his team have other numbers on their minds -- specifically, the dates of Columbia's upcoming meets, especially the NCAA Championships on November 21, also at Indiana State.

"Our number seven ranking is reflective of where we are right now," he said. "However, what ultimately matters is where we are on November 21."

The Lions look to win their fourth straight Ivy League title in the Heptagonal Ivy Championships October 28 at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

FinishLynx NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL POLL

Team, Points (first place votes in parentheses)


1. Duke (13), 390
2. Stanford, 373
3. Michigan, 365
4. Notre Dame, 352
5. Arizona State, 338
6. Illinois, 323
7. COLUMBIA, 307
8. Brigham Young, 301
9. North Carolina State, 285
10. Colorado, 279
11. Minnesota, 250
12. Wake Forest, 233
13. Northern Arizona, 216
14. Boston College, 204
15. Oklahoma State, 203
16. Providence, 194
17. Arkansas, 181
18. Princeton, 172
19. Virginia, 162
20. Baylor, 149
21. Tennessee, 137
22. Oregon, 125
23. Michigan State, 119
24. Rice, 96
25. North Carolina, 77
26. Washington, 65
27. Butler, 55
28. Georgia, 38
29. Marquette, 23
30. Iowa, 18
Others receiving votes: Boston U., Georgetown, UCLA, Villanova