FAIRFAX, Va. – As the George Mason men's cross country team continues to collect victories, the Patriots continue to rise in the rankings.

Mason was ranked 12th in the USTFCCCA Southeast Region rankings released on Monday for its highest ranking yet this season. This comes on the heels of the Patriots finishing first as a team at the VertCross Invitational on Friday.

The men's team has won its last three meets – VertCross, Mason Invitational and JMU Invitational – to move up in the regional rankings. The Patriots, who were ranked 14 th in the preseason poll, climbed up a spot from the previous rankings. They are currently ahead of the ACC's Duke (No. 13), Clemson (No. 14) and Wake Forest (No. 15).

On Friday, the Patriots finished first at the VertCross Invitational, scoring 67 points to beat out second-place Duke (87 points). Sophomore Grayson Morgan led Mason by placing seventh with a time of 25:19.7 on the 8K course. The Patriots' Logan Miller (16th, 25:34.0) and Adam LaFemina (24th, 25:44.9) also finished in the top 25.

The Patriots return to action on Oct. 29 with the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships in Mechanicsville, Va. They'll then compete in the NCAA Southeast Region Championships in Earlysville, Va. Mason finished 12th at the regional meet in 2015.