Hillsdale College Women's Cross Country Team Ranked No. 1 in the Nation

Chargers reach top of the Division II poll for the first time in school history

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Sep 24, 2015, 10:01 ET

HILLSDALE, Mich., Sept. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillsdale College congratulates the Chargers women's cross country team, which was ranked first in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division II top 25 poll today, making it the first athletic team in the school's history to earn the top spot in a Division II national poll.

"This is an exciting day for us as a program," said head coach Andrew Towne. "When we talk about pursuing excellence, being ranked first in the nation is certainly part of that pursuit; however, what we do every day will not change.

"As much as we focus on the process rather than the outcome, being ranked number one at the end of the season is a more important goal. Our women's team is completely focused on that one goal, and I know they will put in the work to achieve it," he added.

Hillsdale broke through to the nation's elite last year, finishing second at both the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Midwest regional meets. The women capped the season with an NCAA runner-up finish at the national championships, the highest-ever national finish for any Hillsdale College athletics program at the NCAA Division II level.

The Chargers return their top four athletes for the 2015 season in Emily Oren, Molly Oren, Kristina Galat, and Molly McIntyre. Emily Oren is a seven-time All-American and a four-time national champion between cross-country and track. Galat was Hillsdale's best runner at the cross country national championships last December, and notched two national runner-up finishes at the 2015 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships this past march.

"Returning talent is definitely a large part of the team's success so far," said Towne. "We performed really well at the Spartan Invitational on Sept. 18, finishing with five athletes in the top 35 of an event featuring Division I and II schools.

"I'm excited to see what a seasoned, battle-tested squad like this can accomplish this season. We have a team that is mature, and won't get caught up in our ranking today. We will go to work today just like we did yesterday, and just like we will tomorrow."

The Chargers will look to defend their top-ranking on Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Greater Louisville Classic. At that meet, Hillsdale is one of only two NCAA Division II teams and competes against Division I teams.

NCAA Division II is a collection of 300 NCAA colleges and universities, located in 44 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Division II has the highest opportunity ratio in the NCAA -- one championship opportunity for approximately every seven student athletes.

About Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College, founded in 1844, has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 2.9 million.

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SOURCE Hillsdale College