NEW ORLEANS -- The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its Week One rankings and Davis & Elkins finds itself ranked third in both the men's and women's NCAA DII Atlantic Region Cross Country Standings.
 
Following a second-place finish for the D&E women at the Panther Invitational, where they beat the preseason-ranked #4 team Slippery Rock by seven points, the Senators jumped six spots in the Atlantic Region standings. Anchored by record-breaking finishes by freshman Lydia Falkenstein and a team record finish, the squad looked like they were in mid-season form.
 
As it stands, D&E joins Charleston (1st) and Lock Haven (2nd) as programs the USTFCCCA projects as automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Championships in Joplin, Missouri.
 
Edinboro (5), Bloomsburg, Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg, Kutztown, and Clarion round out the top ten in the Atlantic Region rankings on the women's side.
 
The D&E men put together record-breaking individual and team performances of their own at the Panther Invite. Henry Schmidt led the Senators to a third-place finish and helped his team jump from sixth in the preseason poll to the third-place slot. D&E jumped past Concord (4th), Slippery Rock (5th), and Indiana, Pa. (6th).
 
Charleston (1st), Shippensburg (2nd), and D&E (3rd) are in prime position in the early-going to be automatic qualifiers for Joplin according to the USTFCCCA.
 
California, Pa. (7), Lock Haven (8), Kutztown (9), and East Stroudsburg (10) round out the top ten.
 
"It is exciting to see both the men's and women's team rewarded with an Atlantic Regional top 3 ranking after the opening meet," said head coach Jason Pyles. "Our meet in Pittsburgh couldn't have gone any better and set the tone for meets to come. It was no surprise to me though. All summer long, this group made the commitment to following their training plans and put in the needed training week-after-week." 
 
"Since 2019, both our men and women have been in the Regional top ten rankings in every single poll released and also have finished in the top ten in every Regional Championship since 2019," he continued. "So, we are at the point we expect this each year, but we also know the rankings don't mean much come November 4th at the Atlantic Regional Championship. "It's all how we perform on that day! The goal is to finish in the top three and send both teams to the National Championships in Joplin, Missouri. I believe in this team and believe that both groups can accomplish it!"