Kansas City, MO - The UC women's cross country team has climbed to No. 3 in the first regular-season NAIA Coaches' Poll, officials announced Thursday. This marks the highest ranking in program history. 

The Patriots remain in the top five following a strong performance at the Southern Showcase nearly two weeks ago, where they placed 29th out of 52 teams in the women's 5K. 

Leading the way for UC was Lea Kunstmann, who clocked a time of 18:29.6 to finish 141st overall. Her effort ranks among the top 15 all-time performances in Cumberlands' history. 

Cumberlands earned 446 points in the poll. Taylor (Ind.) holds the top spot, followed by Milligan (Tenn.), The Master's (Calif.), and Indiana Wesleyan to round out the top five. 

UC will be back on the course on Saturday, October 4th at the Greater Louisville Classic hosted by the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky.   

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