Texas A&M ranks No. 1 in region, No. 18 nationally - TEXAS A&M OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Texas A&M ranks No. 1 in region, No. 18 nationally

Shadrack Songok earns third Big 12 Runner of the Week honor

	Shadrock Songok received his third Big 12 Runner of the Week honor

Oct. 21, 2008

Following an impressive team victory over Arkansas and a field of 30 teams this past weekend, the Texas A&M men's cross country team improved to No. 18 in the national poll released Tuesday by United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

In addition the Aggie men claimed the No. 1 position in the South Central Region poll, taking over the spot previously held by Texas.

The Big 12 Conference office also selected Texas A&M senior Shadrack Songok as the Runner of the Week on Tuesday after he finished third in the Chili Pepper Festival. It's the third time this season Songok has received the conference honor. The senior has led the Aggies in each of the three meets he has contested this season, winning the Texas A&M Invitational and placing second at the Notre Dame Invitational prior to his performance at Arkansas.

The next meet for the Texas A&M program is the Big 12 Championships hosted by Iowa State on November 1 in Ames, Iowa. Currently the Aggies head into the conference meet as the third-highest ranked team among the national top 30 poll.

Oklahoma State is the top ranked Big 12 squad at No. 4 in this week's poll while Colorado, 12-time winners of the men's conference title, is just one position ahead of Texas A&M at No. 17. Other Big 12 schools nationally ranked include Iowa State at No. 22 and Texas at No. 30.

The Aggie men began the season with a No. 26 preseason ranking and then dropped to No. 28 after the first couple weeks of the season. A third-place team finish by A&M at Notre Dame improved its standing to No. 20. Then the win at the Chili Pepper Festival this past weekend moved the Aggies up two spots in the national poll while placing them atop the South Central Region.

Currently Texas A&M is one of only two men's programs that finished among the top 10 at last season's NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championship meets in track and field and are a top 20 team in cross country this fall. The other program is Florida State, who ranks No. 15 this week.

USTFCCCA * NCAA Division I Men's Rankings October 21, 2008

1. Oregon - (8); 2. Stanford; 3. Oklahoma State - (4); 4. Portland; 5. Alabama; 6. Wisconsin; 7. Iona College; 8. Northern Arizona; 9. Michigan; 10. Georgetown; 11. BYU; 11. Auburn; 13. UCLA; 14. Virginia; 15. Florida State; 16. Tulsa; 17. Colorado; 18. Texas A&M; 19. Indiana; 20. Minnesota; 21. William & Mary; 22. Iowa State; 23. Cal Poly; 24. California; 24. Washington; 26. Arkansas; 27. Providence; 28. Florida; 29. North Carolina State; 30. Texas

South Central Region Men's Ranking - Week 4 - 10/20/08 1. Texas A&M 2. Arkansas 3. Texas 4. Lamar 5. LSU 6. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 7. McNeese State 8. Stephen F. Austin 9. UTPA 10. Rice 11. North Texas 12. Baylor 13. Louisiana Tech 14. UALR 15. Texas-Arlington

South Central Region Women's Ranking - Week 4 - 10/20/08 1. Arkansas 2. Baylor 3. Rice 4. Southern Methodist 5. Texas 6. Texas A&M 7. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 8. Houston 9. Stephen F. Austin 10. TCU 11. Tulane 12. Texas State 13. Texas-Arlington 14. UTSA 15. McNeese State

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