Once Unbeaten UMD Women Fall in D2 Poll

The University of Minnesota - Duluth women's cross country team, which has set the national rankings' pace among Minnesota program across all divisions, fell out of the NCAA Division II top-10 in the latest rankings after an upset loss at the NSIC meet last Saturday in Wayne, Nebraska.

The Bulldogs, ranked #7 in the country going into conference, fell to #13 after a third place finish behind Augustana and the University of Mary. The defeat was the team's first of the season.

UMD is the lone Minnesota women's or men's program with a national ranking in D2. Find complete D2 rankings HERE.

UMD will return to Wayne to compete in the NCAA Division II Central Regional Championship next weekend with a berth in the NCAA Division II Championships at stake.

Gopher and D3 Regionals This Weekend ...

The University of Minnesota squads' and the state's Division III programs will be in action this weekend at their respective regional meets.

The Gopher teams -- the #20-ranked Gopher women and the #24 Gopher men -- will compete at Saturday's NCAA Division I Midwest Regional in Peoria, Illinois. Two men's and women's teams will automatically qualify from the meet for the NCAA Division I Championships.

An additional 13 at-large teams will be selected from non-automatic qualifying teams from the nation's eight regions. In all, 31 teams will compete in the D1 national meet.

The Gopher women are ranked #2 (behind Iowa State) in the Midwest; the Gopher men are ranked #4 in the region, behind national #1 Oklahoma State, #8 Oklahoma, and #27 Tulsa.

Read regional meet previews for the U of M squads HERE (women) and HERE (men).

MIAC Champs Eye Automatic Bids ...

MIAC cross country champions St. Olaf and Hamline are tabbed to earn automatic qualifying spots at Saturday's NCAA Division III Central Regional in Waverly, Iowa, if regional rankings are to be trusted.

The St. Olaf women, ranked #15 in D3, enter the meet as the region's #2 squad, behind Luther College. The University of St. Thomas is ranked #5 in the Central, followed in order by Carleton, Gustavus Adolphus, Bethel, and St. Benedict.

Two team's automatically qualify for the NCAA Division III National Championships also held in Waverly. Up to three more region teams could race at nationals via at-large selection.

In men's competition, MIAC men's champs Hamline, ranked #22 nationally in D3, paces the Central Region rankings, followed by #3 St. Olaf, #6 St. John's, and #10 St. Thomas.