ANGOLA, IND. -- The Trine University men's and women's cross country teams have been included in this week's Great Lakes Regional rankings by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The Trine men are currently fifth in the latest ranks, while the Thunder women are ranked ninth. Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Calvin (Mich.) College is the top-ranked team in the region on the men's side and fellow MIAA foe Albion (Mich.) College also appears in the men's rankings in ninth place. In addition to Trine in the women's rankings, Hope (Mich.) College is currently ranked third and Calvin is just ahead of Trine in eighth place.
The USTFCCCA Regional Cross Country Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning teams' strength with current season results (if applicable) in determining a predicting finishing order at the NCAA Regional Championships.
Both cross country teams have had a solid start to the 2019 season through two events so far. The Thunder men have posted two top-10 finishes that included a second-place effort at the Manchester University Hokum Karem event and sixth at the Calvin Knight Invitational. The women started off the season with a fourth-place finish at the Hokum Karem and then 11th at Calvin.
Both teams will compete at the Ray Bullock Invitational hosted by Taylor University in Upland, Ind tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 20) with the women's race starting at 5 p.m., followed by the men at 5:45 p.m.