Cowgirls Receive Highest Ever Preseason Ranking

The Oklahoma State Cowgirls received the highest preseason ranking in program history when the National Soccer Coaches Association of America released its poll on Tuesday.

The NSCAA/Continental Tire Division I poll tabbed the Cowgirls as the No. 5 team in the country.

The No. 5 preseason mark tops the previous OSU record set by the 2009 team, which debuted at No. 11, and marks the sixth-consecutive year the Cowgirls have been ranked in the preseason poll.

Oklahoma State also extends its string of consecutive weeks in the national rankings to 29, dating back to the 2010 preseason. The Cowgirls have now been ranked in the top five of the NSCAA poll for 13-straight weeks. OSU was ranked in the top five for the final 12 weeks in 2011, including a span of eight weeks in which it held the No. 2 spot.

Stanford is ranked No. 1 in the 2012 NSCAA preseason rankings, followed by No. 2 Duke, No. 3 Wake Forest and No. 4 Florida State. OSU is one of two Big 12 teams in the rankings, with West Virginia coming in 20th.

The Cowgirls are coming off the best season in program history after going 22-2-2 in 2011 and advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row before losing to eventual national champion Stanford in overtime. The Cowgirls also won a fourth-straight Big 12 Conference championship by claiming the league's regular season crown.

OSU opens the season Saturday, hosting an exhibition match against Arkansas at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex. The Cowgirls open the regular season against UMKC on Aug. 17 at home.