University of Tennessee Athletics
LADY VOLS MOVE TO THIRD IN SOUTH REGIONAL RANKINGS
November 01, 2001 | Women's Cross Country
Nov. 1, 2001
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
On the heels of a second-place finish at the Southeastern Conference Championships, the University of Tennessee women's cross country team moved to third in the most recent NCAA South Region Coaches' Poll. Prior to this week, the Lady Vols had been ranked fifth for two weeks after moving up from seventh.
Tennessee garnered a total of 56 points to rank behind the region's top squad, Georgia Tech, which had 68 points. The remainder of the top five includes South Florida (60 points), Tennessee, Florida State (45) and Florida (40). The ratings are based on votes by seven coaches in the NCAA's South Region. Of the seven first-place votes, Georgia Tech garnered six while Tennessee tallied one.
The true test of the rankings will come on Nov. 10 when all of the region's teams compete at the NCAA South Regional in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The top two squads, and four individuals not on those squads, advance to the 2001 NCAA Championships. Last year, South Florida and Georgia Tech represented the South at the national meet.
Tennessee put itself in a strong position to contend for a spot at the national meet as the Lady Vols finished second at the SEC Championships behind Arkansas, which is rated in the top 10 in the national poll. UT had three runners earn all-conference honors and all five scorers finished in the top 25. Tennessee's runner-up performance was its best since winning the league in 1990.
