Oct. 18, 2006

El Paso, Texas - After an impressive victory at the Chile Pepper Festival last weekend, the UTEP cross country team climbed seven spots in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll to rank fourth nationally.

The Miners placed five runners in the top 20 to defeat then-second ranked Arkansas, which had won 16 of the previous 17 Chile Pepper titles.

UTEP received 391 votes, including one first place vote, to rank behind Wisconsin (448 votes), Colorado (427 votes) and Iona (422 votes).

UTEP will next run at the C-USA Championship in Greenville, N.C., on Oct. 28.