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NEW ORLEANS – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s cross country team ascended a spot to No. 26 in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches (USTFCCCA) Division I national poll on Tuesday, surpassing in-state rival Louisville.

The ranking, which places EKU just behind Notre Dame (No. 23), Texas (No. 24) and Ohio State (No. 25) and just ahead of Louisville (No. 27), Michigan (No. 28), Florida (No. 29) and Arizona State (No. 29), is the highest in program history.

The Colonel men, meanwhile, stayed put at No. 3 in the USTFCCCA Southeast Region rankings, released on Monday.

EKU has won both meets at which it has competed in 2011 (a dual meet with Marshall on September 2 and the Navy Invitational on September 17), but will face a loaded field at the Notre Dame Invitational this Friday, September 30. Seven teams competing at the Notre Dame Invitational are ranked in the top-25 in the country, including Stanford (No. 3), Florida State (No. 10), Princeton (No. 12), BYU (No. 14), New Mexico (No. 21), Notre Dame (No. 23) and Ohio State (No. 25).

Sophomore Soufiane Bouchikhi, the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference champion, continues to lead EKU in 2011, as he won the Navy Invitational with an 8K time of 24:16.79. Seniors Evans Kiptoo and David Mutuse, junior Daniel Jones, sophomore Adams Ronnoh, freshman Thijs Nijhuis and transfers Ben Cheruiyot and Peter Sigilai will also travel to South Bend this weekend.

The EKU women's team is also set to run this weekend, competing against a field of almost 75 teams at the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday, October 1. Senior Lydia Kosgei leads the Colonel women this fall, as she won the Queen City Invitational on September 9 with a 5K time of 17:43.80 and was named the OVC Runner of the Week for her efforts.