Women's cross country ranked 20th in first national poll

Virginia Tech women's cross country is ranked 20th in the first U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll, released Tuesday. The Hokies totaled 143 points after placing 18th at last season's NCAA Championships. 

The Hokies were also ranked fourth in the USTFCCCA's Southeast Regional poll after finishing in third place at last season's regional meet.

Stanford, the back-to-back NCAA champion, earned nine first-place votes to top the national rankings while Atlantic Coast Conference members Virginia (No. 11), Florida State (No. 12), NC State (No. 15), Duke (No. 17) and Boston College (No. 28) were rated as well.

Virginia (No. 1), Florida State (No. 2) and NC State (No. 15) finished ahead of the Hokies in the southeast region.

The men's team appeared sixth in the Southeast Regional poll, while the women were fourth.

Tech's men's team finished first while the women's team came in second place in the season-opening meet at the Wake Forest Relays. The Hokies produced a pair of first-place finishes in the Virginia Tech Invitational last Saturday at Tech Cross Country Course. Tech next runs at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 21, at the Lenoir-Rhyne Invitational in Newton, N.C.