Sept. 15, 2006

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest women's cross country team has been ranked No. 28 team by the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) preseason poll, the organization announced recently. Stanford was tabbed as the No. 1 pick, while five other Atlantic Coast Conference schools dot the top 30.

Wake Forest has competed in two meets in 2006, the Wake Forest Relays and the Lou Onesty Invitational. At the home meet, the Deacs placed two runners in the top six and had the third-fastest relay team in Caitlin Chrisman and Merry Placer. At the Lou Onesty Invitational, Wake Forest finished second in the team competition.

The Demon Deacons are coming off an 17th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2005 and return senior Michelle Skies. Sikes was an NCAA Championship participant and was named All-Region in her junior cross country season. So far in 2006, she finished first out of 113 runners at the Lou Onesty Invitational and was recently selected as the ACC Cross Country Performer of the Week.

The Demon Deacons continues the season at the Oregon Invitational on Sept. 29. From there, Wake Forest will run at the Pre NCAA Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind. and then travel to the ACC Championships, hosted by the University of Virginia.