NEW ORLEANS – The University of Sioux Falls Men's Cross Country Team, which is having one of its best seasons in the school's NCAA DII era (since 2011), is ranked #12 in the latest U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association Poll.

"We are pleased with our ranking and very excited to wrap-up our regular season schedule this Saturday at the Mt. Marty Invitational. This will provide our athletes a great chance to get one more race in before we hit the championship segment of our season," said USF head men's cross country coach Grant Watley, whose team is also ranked second in the Central Region.

After debuting at No. 17 in the preseason USTFCCA poll, the Cougars won the college division of the Augustana Twilight Invitational and then defeated previously top-ranked Division III St. Olaf in USF's second meet of the season.. Several weeks ago, the Cougars finished second in the college division of the highly competitive Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark. USF, which was #11 a week ago, collected 105 points in the most recent poll.

Adams State maintained the top spot in the national poll with eight first-place votes and 200 points. The Cougars are one of two teams from the NSIC and three from the NCAA Central Region in the rankings.

The Cougars have also earned several individual accolades as Matthew Horan and Bobby Brockmueller have earned NSIC men's cross country athlete of the week honors. In fact, Brockmueller has earned a pair of NSIC honors. Following the Chile Pepper Invite, he received his second NSIC honor with a fifth place finish in the college division (24th overall). Both Horan and Brockmueller are key holdovers from last year's NSIC runner-up team and the Cougars are eyeing the NSIC Championships on Nov. 8 and the NCAA Central Regional on Nov. 22. Both meets will be held in Wayne, Neb.

The USF men's and women's cross country teams will compete at the Mount Marty Invitational in Yankton, S.D., on Saturday, Oct. 25.