KELOWNA, B.C. – The UBC Okanagan Heat women's cross country team moved up one spot in the U SPORTS Top 10 rankings on Tuesday as they are now ranked eighth in the country heading into the national championships.
 
After being ranked ninth in each of the last two votes, UBCO moves up into a tie for eighth with the Waterloo Warriors following the Heat's bronze medal finish at the 2024 Canada West Championships last week.
 
The Heat earned a spot on the conference podium for the third time in four years thanks to a pair of Top 7 finishes from Lauren McNeil of Buxton, England and Kristen Smith of Georgetown, Ont. McNeil won individual silver while Smith finished seventh as both athletes were named Canada West First Team All-Stars.
 
The Heat are now preparing to host the best cross country runners from across the country at the 2024 U SPORTS Championships at Mission Recreation Park on Saturday, November 9. The men's race gets underway at 12 p.m. followed by the women's race at 1 p.m. Both races will be broadcast live on CBCSports.ca.