Princeton University Athletics
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Women's XC Ranked in National & Regional Preseason Polls
August 30, 2011 | Women's Cross Country
PRINCETON, N.J. (8/30/11) - The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) released its preseason regional and national rankings this week. The Princeton women's cross country team is ranked 22nd in the national poll, tied with Florida, with 106 points. The Tigers are the only Ivy League team ranked in the national poll.
Princeton is fourth in the Mid-Atlantic Region with Georgetown first, followed by Villanova and Penn State. The Hoyas are the preseason national favorite with 10 first-place votes.
Last year, the team won its fifth straight Ivy League Heptagonal and earned its eighth straight bid to the NCAA Tournament. Princeton finished 15th overall, ahead of 10 teams that were ranked higher than. Additionally, the Tigers have finished in the top 15 six times in the last seven years and seven times in total in NCAA history.
Senior captain Alex Banfich will guide the Tigers in 2011. Banfich won the individual title at Heps with the second fastest time in Heps history. She placed fourth at the Mid-Atlantic Regional and earned All-America honors at nationals with a 20th-place finish.
Princeton graduated two of its steady scorers for the last three years in Ashley Higginson and Sarah Cummings.
The Tigers have a number of talented returners that will vie for a scoring position. They include sophomore Theresa Devine, junior Abby Levene, junior Alexis Mikaelian and junior Mel Newbery. All four were scorers during Princeton's championship season last year. Newbery was the third Tiger across the line with an eighth-place finish at Heps. Levene finished either 4 or 5 in each of Princeton's three championships. Mikaelian and Devine have also steadily made their way to the front of the Tiger pack, with Mikaelian being a scorer at nationals and Devine picking up points at regionals. The team also adds nine freshmen to the 2011 squad.
The Tigers open the 2011 season on Saturday, Sept. 10 at the Fordham Fiasco.