The Missouri State cross country team moved up three spots to the No. 6 ranking in this week’s NCAA Division I Midwest Regional poll, announced Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The Bears, who were ranked ninth in each of the first two polls of the season, are now the highest ranked team in the Missouri Valley Conference. Wichita State maintained its hold on the eighth spot in the region, while Illinois State finished 13th in this week’s poll.

Under the direction of head coach Greg Hipp, the Bears have claimed team titles at each of their first three meets of the season. MSU won the Washington University Early Bird Meet (Sept. 1) in St. Louis, followed by the Missouri State Cross Country Classic (Sept. 22) and the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree this past weekend in Stillwater, Okla. MSU is one of just nine unbeaten women’s cross country squads in the country.

Senior Carrie Vestal has led the way for Missouri State in all three meets, claiming overall titles at both the WU and MSU meets. The Springfield Parkview product ran a season-best 5K of 17:57 at Oklahoma State to finish sixth.

Missouri State will be back in action Saturday, Oct. 13, when it takes part in the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival in Fayetteville, Ark.