PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley women's cross country team moved back into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) regional rankings, taking over the #15 spot in the latest poll announced Monday.

The Braves were ranked 15th in the Midwest Region after the season-opening Bradley Open in early September, but slipped out of the rankings before the latest poll.  BU's ranking earlier this year was the first for the team since November 2009. 

Bradley is coming off a sixth-place finish at the eighth annual Bradley Classic last Friday at Newman Golf Course, which included five other teams currently listed in the USTFCCCA regional rankings.  BU is one of four Missouri Valley Conference schools ranked in the Midwest Region. 

Underclassmen have led the way for the Braves this season and the Bradley Classic was no different.  Sophomore Cassie Lohmeier (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria) paced BU at the Bradley Classic, running a career-best 6K time of 21:50.63 to finish 16th.  Freshmen rounded out the scoring for Bradley, with Sarah McMahon (Colfax, Wis./Colfax) placing 18th and Emily Delvo (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin) taking 19th in the field to lead the Braves.

Bradley will send a small contingent to Friday's Illini Open in Champaign, Ill., (4 p.m.), before the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship in Terre Haute, Ind., on Oct. 30.