Oct. 5, 2011

COLUMBIA, Mo. - After a great performance at the Notre Dame Invitational over the weekend, the Mizzou women's cross country team earned votes in this week's US Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (UTSFCCCA) National Poll. The appearance in the national poll this week marks the first time that a Mizzou cross country team (men's or women's) has received votes in the national poll since 2005. That year, Mizzou finished 11th at the NCAA Championships.

"It's always a compliment when your team is recognized for its performances," women's head coach Rebecca Wilmes said. "At the same time, we know that we have a lot of work to do and we must remain focused on what lies ahead for us in the Championship portion of the season."

The votes in the national poll are a reflection of the full team effort at Notre Dame last weekend where the women's team placed ninth out of 28 teams, defeating plenty of Big 12 and other teams Division I that had been receiving votes in the UTSTFCCCA poll.

The women will return to the course on Oct. 14 at the Bradley Invitational while the men will head to Pre-Nationals on Oct. 16. For all the latest on Mizzou cross country, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MIZ_TrackField.