SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's track and field team is ranked #20 in NCAA Division III in the preseason rankings released this week by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). In addition, six Willamette track and field athletes are ranked in the top 10 on this week's performance list.

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is the #1 ranked women's team this week with 198.25 points in the computer rankings. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is #2 with 139.10 points and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is #3 at 133.77 points. Wartburg College (Iowa) is #4 at 98.52 and Johns Hopkins University (Md.) is #5 at 84.81.

George Fox University is listed at #6 with 92.39 points, while Massachusetts Institute of Technology is #7 at 89.30. Baldwin Wallace University (Ohio) is #8 at 87.50, California Lutheran University is #9 at 83.90 and North Central College (Illinois) is #10 at 82.21. Willamette is #20 with 50.41 points.

Willamette and George Fox are two of three teams from the Northwest Conference included in the women's rankings. Whitworth University is #21 with 49.80 points.

Team rankings are determined by assigning points to those athletes ranked high on the national performance lists (including the top 2014 marks for returning athletes during the first three weeks of the season). Team scores are the sum of their athletes’ point totals.

The men's national rankings are led by UW-Lacrosse with 201.48 points. University of Mount Union (Ohio) follows at #2 with 148.82 points and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is #3 with 132.71. North Central holds the #4 ranking at 101.93, while UW-Whitewater is #5 at 98.47.

Regional rankings have not yet been released by the USTFCCCA. The first set of regional rankings are set for next week.

Michaela Freeby (Sr., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) from Willamette is ranked #1 in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:54.94. Teammate Hannah Bressler (Jr., Oak Harbor, WA/Oak Harbor HS) is #2 in the steeplechase at 10:59.31.

Olivia Mancl (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) represents the Bearcats in the top 10 in two events. She is sixth in the 1,500-meter run at 4:41.41 and is 10th in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 17:58.71.

Willamette's Jossalyn Wright (Sr., Aumsville, OR/Cascade HS) is sixth in the women's hammer throw. Her top distance so far this spring is 154' 11" on March 24 during the Willamette vs. Corban Dual. Meka Townsend (Jr., Okanogan, WA/Okanogan HS) is ninth in the javelin with a season-best mark of 131' 4".

For the Bearcat men's team, Tyler Higley (Sr., Aloha, OR/Aloha HS) is listed 10th in the men's hammer throw. He has recorded a distance of 163' 3".

The Bearcats will compete in the Willamette Invitational on Saturday, March 28 at Charles Bowles Track. Action will get underway with field events at 9:30 a.m. (PDT). Track events will start at 12 p.m., and the Charles Bowles Celebration of Distance -- featuring the top heats in the distance events -- will begin at 5 p.m.