Despite beating a formerly ranked opponent and improving to 6-1 this week, the Gophers football team could not crack the top 25 of any major poll. They had the third-highest vote total of any nonranked team in the AP Top 25 Poll (48), and the second-highest in the USA Today Coaches Poll (55). The Gophers beat Illinois, which spent the first five weekends of the season in the top 25 on Saturday, holding the Big TenâÄôs second ranked offense to just three points in the first half. They have not been ranked since breaking it at No. 22 on October 15, 2005 after upsetting Michigan the week before. Texas was a unanimous No. 1 pick in both polls, followed by Alabama and fellow Big Ten team Penn State, whom the Gophers do not play this season. Also in the AP Top 25 were Big Ten schools Ohio State (12) and Michigan State (20). -Trevor Born Gophers swimming and diving earns Big Ten wins The Minnesota womenâÄôs swimming and diving team collected its first two dual wins of the season this past weekend against Big Ten opponents Michigan and Michigan State. The Gophers opened the weekend strong, beating Michigan in Ann Arbor 169-130. The team had the three best times in the 1,650-meter freestyle event. On Saturday the Gophers traveled to East Lansing, where they beat Michigan State 164-132. Minnesota set a pool record of 1:43.03 in its 200-meter medley relay win. The women will now have a break in action. The Gophers will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., for their next meet Oct. 31 through Nov. 1 against North Carolina. The menâÄôs team will enter into competition this weekend with an intrasquad meet at noon, Saturday at the University Aquatic Center. -Nicole Tommerdahl Minnesota maintains No. 12 ranking Despite running into the brick wall that is the Penn State Volleyball team, the Gophers didnâÄôt take a hit in the CSTV/AVCA poll this week. Minnesota was swept 3-0 by the dominant and unanimous No. 1 Nittany Lions after beating Indiana with ease on Friday night. The Gophers continue to have some company from the conference in the top 25 with five Big Ten teams joining Minnesota amongst the countryâÄôs elite. -Paul J. Cordes Kallman earns Big Ten honors The defensive prowess of the Minnesota soccer team continues to be noticed by the Big Ten. For the fourth time this season, a Minnesota defender was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week with senior Krystle Kallman taking home the honors this week. But KallmanâÄôs effort wasnâÄôt entirely on the defensive end of things over the weekend. Kallman scored the game winner on Sunday and had the assist in FridayâÄôs game-winner in overtime. -Paul J. Cordes Mostly resting cross country team earns fourth With its top runners at home resting for next weekendâÄôs pre-nationals meet in Indiana, the Minnesota womenâÄôs cross country team posted a fourth-place finish this weekend at the Pine Hills Invitational in Carlton, Minn. Sophomore Jenna Lewein paced the Gophers with a 13th-place finish in 23:46.1, two seconds and one position in front of sophomore Tari Helmers. Host Minnesota-Duluth dominated the six-kilometer course with a collective score of 34. The Bulldogs placed the raceâÄôs top-three competitors including individual winner Morgan Place, whose time of 21:20.2 shattered the previous course record by 20 seconds. As a team, Minnesota collected 102 points. -Brian Deutsch Rowers record win The Minnesota womenâÄôs rowing team recorded a first-place finish in the Varsity Open Fours race this weekend at the Head of the Rock Regatta in Rockford, Ill. The boat of seniors Katherine Johnson, Stephanie Bakkum, Ashlee Vilmo, Lucy Mulvey and freshman Illana Ostrin led the pack while the Gophers also recorded finishes of fourth and seventh in the race. In the meetâÄôs Varsity Open Eights race, Minnesota listed boats with finishes of fourth and 10th.