Sept. 10, 2004

WACO, Texas - The Baylor women's cross country team is ranked among the nation's best in the first NCAA cross country poll of the 2004 season.

The women's team is ranked 25th in the pre-season FinishLynx/NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country National Poll. The Bears received 73 points in the poll, which was conducted by the Women's Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association.

This marks the first time in school history Baylor has been ranked in the pre-season national poll. Baylor finished last year ranked 25th after a 25th-place showing at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

The Bears are joined by Colorado (No. 6) and Missouri (No. 13) as the only Big 12 Conference teams ranked in the poll. Stanford enters the season as the No. 1 team in the country.

FinishLynx NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL POLL

2004 Preseason Poll
1. Stanford (10)386
2. Providence (3)372
3. Brigham Young 371
4. Notre Dame 342
5. North Carolina State 329
6. Colorado 322
7. Michigan 316
8. Princeton 288
UCLA 288
10. Villanova 265
11. Wake Forest 248
12. Missouri 235
13. Columbia 231
14. North Carolina 221
15. Northern Arizona 189
16. Georgetown 184
Washington 184
18. Arkansas 165
19. Arizona State 158
20. Duke 155
21. Marquette 145
22. Tennessee 119
23. Penn State 109
24. Michigan State 95
25. Baylor 73
26. Colorado State 69
27. Indiana 44
28. Yale 36
29. Minnesota 27
30. West Virginia 20

Other Teams Also Receiving Votes: California 15, Georgia 13, William & Mary 9, Texas Tech 5, Toledo 5, UC-Santa Barbara 5, Illinois 2, Vanderbilt 2, Washington State 2, Dartmouth 1.