NEW ORLEANS – Suffolk women's cross country has already rewritten the Rams record books days away from the first race of the 2024 as the blue-and-gold landed fourth in the East Region in the Preseason U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Rankings, the national organization announced Tuesday.
Fourth is the highest ranking for the Rams in program history, upstaging the previous mark of sixth, which they achieved November 2 after capturing their third straight league championship.
Suffolk made its regional poll debut in the week 7 edition of the 2021 campaign and has been present in all, but one since. The preseason regional ranking, meanwhile, is the third time in as many years that the blue-and-gold was featured on the list. The Rams were first ranked in the regional preseason ranks at ninth in 2022 and moved up a spot a year later.
The Rams are one of two Conference of New England (CNE) programs to be recognized in the preseason regional rankings as Endicott took 10th in the East.
Suffolk is one of eight institutions to see both their men's and women's programs to be acknowledged on the regional preseason list with the Rams men seventh.
The USTFCCCA Regional Cross Country Coaches' Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning team's strengths with current season results, when applicable, to determine a ranking-order by squad potential. Only USTFCCCA member programs are eligible to receive a ranking. The weekly ranking by the USTFCCCA began in 2010.
Suffolk's 2024 opener send the Rams to Attleboro, Massachusetts, Saturday, Aug. 31 for the 10th Annual Wheaton & Babson Season Opener. The women's 3,000-meter run has a 10:45 a.m. start.