Sept. 12, 2017

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State women's cross country received 36 points in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national poll to come in at No. 30.

It is USU's highest official ranking since coming in at No. 23 after week one in 1998. The Aggies received votes in the last poll before cracking the top-30 this week.

"The thing about polls is they're other people's opinions of what our team can do or is capable of doing. I appreciate that, and I think the kids deserve that kind of recognition because they've been working really hard, and they've raced really well so far," said veteran head coach Gregg Gensel. "When it comes down to it, you still have to try to win races. Being nationally-ranked is great, and the kids deserve that. What I like to take from this is it gives them an opportunity to show what they can do, not only from what other people think, but from what they can actually do."

In Utah State's first race two weeks ago, the women's team claimed the team victory with 15 points to defeat Weber State (56) and Utah (79). Junior Alyssa Snyder won the individual title, finishing the 5-kilometer race in 17:39.35. It was Snyder's first race as an Aggie after transferring from Montana State.

"Being recognized nationally is nice, but it is not something we dwell on," said senior Kelsey Yamauchi-Richins. "We have a chance to go out and do what we know we can do, and as every cross country follower knows, rankings are never followed exactly. To us, it just means we have work to do."

Utah State is back in action in this weekend at the BYU Autumn Classic in Provo, Utah, on Saturday, Sept. 16.

Fans can follow the Utah State track & field and cross country programs at twitter.com/USUTF_XC, on Facebook at USUTrack and on Instagram at instagram.com/USUTF_XC. Aggies fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.

USTFCCCA Week 1 Women's National Rankings:1. Colorado2. Oregon3. New Mexico4. Michigan5. Stanford6. NC State7. Providence8. San Francisco9. Notre Dame10. BYU11. Penn State12. Arkansas13. Washington14. Missouri15. Wisconsin16. Ole Miss17. Michigan State18. Villanova19. Boise State20. Oklahoma State21. Eastern Michigan22. Utah23. Minnesota24. Mississippi State25. Iowa State26. Indiana27. Georgetown28. Harvard29. Furman30. UTAH STATE

-USU-