NEW ORLEANS, La. – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its Week 3 NCAA Division II Regional rankings on Tuesday afternoon, and No. 16 RSU dropped one spot to fourth from the previous poll.
 
The Hillcats are coming off an impressive third-place finish, where the team was made up primarily of 'B' team runners, at the MSSU Southern Stampede in Joplin last Saturday. Sophomore Amy Morefield led the charge, finishing in fourth place with a time of 17:39.8. Other notable finishes for the women included Brooklyn Garafola finishing 14th (18:06.1), Emily Cruz in 15th with a personal best of 18:11.5, Brooke Martin in 28th with a personal best of 18:41.0 and Kiera Blumhof in 52nd at 19:22.9.
 
Winona State made a significant leap in the rankings, climbing to the top position after not being ranked last week. The Warriors delivered a standout performance in the Maroon Race at the Roy Griak Invitational, achieving an impressive 1-2-3 finish. Pittsburg State secured the second spot, followed by Missouri Southern in third. Nebraska-Kearney rounded out the top five.

RSU cross country will resume competition on Oct. 4 at the University of Arkansas Cross Country Course in Fayetteville during the 37th Annual Chile Pepper Festival. The men's race is set to begin at 10:25 a.m. and 11:25 a.m., while the women's race will take place at 11:00 a.m. and 12:10 p.m.