XC: Men's Team Leaps into Top 20

Oct. 20, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. – The University of Oklahoma men's cross country team moved up three spots to No. 20 Tuesday in the national rankings provided by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Rankings (USTFCCCA). The ranking is the highest ever achieved by the program and comes one day after the team moved up one spot to No. 2 in the Midwest Region of the USTFCCCA.

The Sooners are currently ranked third among Big 12 schools in the top 25, falling behind in-state rival Oklahoma State (No. 3) and Colorado (No. 4). Iowa State comes in at No. 23.

“Our team is very excited to move up in the rankings and now being in the top 20. We are hoping to build off this and continue to improve as a team going into the post-season,” said University of Oklahoma head coach Martin Smith. “We have a great group of guys who are willing to do whatever it takes.”

The Sooners were previously ranked No. 23 nationally, before taking down host and then-No. 25 Arkansas, at the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark. It was the second top-25 team that OU has defeated this year as the team took down then-No. 17 Minnesota, coincidentally, at the Gophers' home meet.

Saturday's action closed out the regular-season portion of the 2009 Oklahoma cross country season. The Sooners now turn their attention to the post-season, beginning with the Big 12 Championships on Oct. 31 in Columbia, Mo.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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