UC Santa Barbara's women's cross country team checked in at #11 in this week's USTFCCCA poll after its outstanding performance at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, MN.

The Gauchos, who were unranked in the preseason poll, won the prestigious event thanks to three runners placing in the top six. Stephanie Rothstein (21:12.45) and Lauren Christman (21:12.95) finished the 6K course in first and second place, respectively, while Lindsay Christman crossed the finish in sixth place. The trio led UCSB to 87 points, 21 points better than ninth-ranked Arizona State (108). Other nationally ranked squads in the top six included #13 Baylor (120), #16 Minnesota (137) and #23 Michigan State (143).

Rothstein, who sat out last year as a redshirt, had her best finish for the Gauchos since the 2004 Big West Championships, where she finished third. She is also the first UCSB athlete to win the Griak, a race where six times the individual champions has won the NCAA crown.