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RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s cross country team is now ranked seventh while the women’s team is ranked 10th in the Southeast Region, according to the pre-NCAA Championships poll released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The men’s team was ranked eighth last week but jumped ahead of Virginia Tech in this week’s poll. The Colonels trail only William and Mary, N.C. State, Louisville, Duke, Virginia and North Carolina in the rankings. EKU is positioned ahead of such schools as Virginia Tech, Liberty, Appalachian State, Kentucky and Clemson.

The women’s team made an even greater jump than the men’s team. The women were unranked last week but advanced to No. 10 in this week’s poll, ahead of such teams as Western Kentucky, Clemson, South Carolina and Virginia Tech.

The Southeast Region is one of the largest, and toughest, of the nine regions in the nation, consisting of all NCAA Division I schools from the states of Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The region also features all Atlantic Coast Conference schools.

Both teams’ surges in the polls are a result of impressive performances at the Southeast Regional Championships this past weekend in Louisville.

The men’s team finished seventh behind the second-place performance of junior Wesley Ruttoh, who qualified for and will compete at the NCAA Championships on Monday, Nov. 23, in Terre Haute, Ind. Ruttoh covered the 10K course in a time of 30:04.46 and defeated the reigning BIG EAST and ACC champions.

The women’s team finished 10th behind the strong performance of redshirt freshman Picoty Leitich, who covered the 6K course in a time of 21:13.76 and was named to the All-Southeast Region team following the meet.

Ruttoh will run in the NCAA Championships at 12:08 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 23.