April 22, 2002

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BALTIMORE, Md. -- For the second time this season, the Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team has moved to the top of the national rankings as the Blue Jays are ranked number one this week in both the STX/USILA Coaches Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. The Blue Jays (9-1) were ranked number one for one week in March after knocking off then top-ranked Syracuse, 9-8 on March 16. Hopkins lost its next game at Virginia, its only loss of the season, to fall from the top spot. Prior to this season, Johns Hopkins was last ranked number one for one week early in the 1999 season. Prior to that, the last time Hopkins was ranked number one was in 1995, when JHU spent 10 weeks as the number one ranked team in the nation.

The Blue Jays moved to the top of the polls by virtue of their 9-8 win over Navy last Saturday coupled with Virginia's loss to Duke in the ACC Championship Game. The Blue Jays had been ranked second behind Virginia in both polls last week. Hopkins was a unanimous number one selection in the STX/USILA Poll as JHU picked up all 10 first-place votes and 200 points. Syracuse is ranked second with 187 points with Virginia third (183). The Blue Jays picked up 16 of a possible 19 first-place votes in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and 377 points to outdistance second-ranked Syracuse, which picked up one first-place vote and 360 points. Virginia grabbed the two remaining first place votes and 345 points.

The Blue Jays, who have won six straight, will host Towson in the final regular-season home game of the year this Saturday. Towson is currently ranked 15th in both polls and sports a 6-4 overall record.