By: Erin Madden

NEW ORLEANS - The Baldwin Wallace University women's outdoor track and field team has climbed up the national rankings in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Ratings Index. 

After debuting at No. 15 in the week 1 outdoor ratings index, the Yellow Jackets have climbed up four spots to No. 11 and remain one of three nationally ranked teams in the Ohio Athletic Conference, behind crosstown rival John Carroll University and the University of Mount Union. The Purple Raiders and the Blue Streaks both fell in their rankings from week 1 to week 2 but still find themselves in the top-10 at No. 8 and No. 10, respectively. BW also climbed one spot in the weekly regional rankings, also released by the USTFCCCA, now coming in fourth behind Mount Union, John Carroll and Ohio Northern University. 

Last weekend at the 51st Sparky Adams Invitational, the Yellow Jackets turned in a few Division III top-15 marks between the reigning OAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week, junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC distance runner Alyssa Laughner (Howard, Pa./Central Mountain), senior All-OAC distance runner Hastings Marek (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial) and freshman All-OAC distance runner Hope Murphy (Mogadore). Laughner and Marek rank second and fifth, respectively, in the 3,000-meter run while Murphy is ranked 15th in the 800-meter run. 

BW will return to the track on Saturday, April 10, for the Greg Tyson Jr. Invitational, hosted by Heidelberg University, beginning at 11 a.m. inside Hoernemann Stadium.