LAKE CHARLES – McNeese's impressive showing at the Notre Dame Cross Country Invitational has boosted the team three spots to No. 4 in the latest USTFCCCA South Central Region poll.
The Cowgirls remained at No. 14 in the women's poll.
McNeese, which finished ninth at the prestigious Notre Dame meet, is the highest ranked Southland Conference school in the poll and trail only Texas, Arkansas and Texas A&M. Lamar is tied at fifth with Rice, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is eighth, Central Arkansas 10th, Stephen F. Austin is in at 11 and Sam Houston State is ranked 14th.
On the women's side, Arkansas tops the regional ranking followed by Texas and SMU to round out the top three. Other conference schools in the poll has Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at No. 9, Stephen F. Austin is 10th and Sam Houston State at No. 12.
“This is great to see,” said McNeese coach Brendon Gilroy. “Hopefully we can keep building from here. The runners are coming along nicely.”
Both teams will be back in action again on Oct. 13 when most of the squad will run at the Arkansas Chili Pepper Cross Country Festival in Fayetteville. A select few will travel to Louisville on that same day to compete in the Louisville Pre-National Cross Country Meet.