Big things are again expected of the Lewis-Clark State College cross country programs this season because the women’s team is ranked No. 9, while the men’s team is No. 19 in the NAIA Cross Country Top 25 Preseason Coaches’ Polls, which were released on Wednesday.
The Warrior women only had one senior on the roster last year when they placed No. 14 at the national meet. The team returns six of its seven runners who competed at nationals last year, including its top three finishers. That was enough to impress the voters, who awarded LCSC 427 points in the poll.
The women’s poll definitely had a Western flavor to it as seven of the top nine teams are from the West while the remaining two are from Ohio. Simon Fraser University drew 11 of the 21 first-place votes to grab the top spot, while Cedarville of Ohio was second with six first-place votes. California schools, led by Biola, held four of the next five spots, while the College of Idaho was eighth and LCSC ninth.
The LCSC men also return largely intact from a year ago when they were ranked No. 11 in the final NAIA poll. The Warriors received 231 points in this year’s poll.
Defending champion Malone of Ohio drew 18 of the 20 first-place votes to grab the top spot, while Aquinas of Michigan was second. Simon Fraser was fourth, while Concordia of Oregon was seventh. Southern Oregon was the other Pacific Northwest team to be ranked at No. 10.
Both Warrior teams won Frontier Conference titles a year ago and are the overwhelming favorites again this season.
WOMEN’S TOP 25 POLL
|
RANK
|
LAST POLL^
|
SCHOOL
|
TOTAL POINTS
|
|
1
|
11
|
Simon Fraser University (B.C.) (11)
|
573
|
|
2
|
1
|
Cedarville University (Ohio) (6)
|
563
|
|
3
|
8
|
Biola University (Calif.) (4)
|
560
|
|
4
|
5
|
Concordia University (Calif.)
|
523
|
|
5
|
5
|
Malone University (Ohio)
|
508
|
|
6
|
3
|
California State University-San Marcos
|
488
|
|
7
|
2
|
Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
|
477
|
|
8
|
10
|
College of Idaho
|
474
|
|
9
|
14
|
Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho)
|
427
|
|
10
|
12
|
Indiana Wesleyan University
|
413
|
|
11
|
21
|
Concordia University (Ore.)
|
409
|
|
12
|
13
|
Milligan College (Tenn.)
|
377
|
|
13
|
20
|
Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.)
|
335
|
|
14
|
18
|
Concordia University (Neb.)
|
320
|
|
15
|
7
|
Indiana Institute of Technology
|
315
|
|
16
|
19
|
Saint Xavier University (Ill.)
|
270
|
|
17
|
24
|
Aquinas College (Mich.)
|
260
|
|
18
|
17
|
Spring Arbor University (Mich.)
|
251
|
|
19
|
15
|
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.)
|
246
|
|
20
|
NR
|
Jamestown College (N.D.)
|
228
|
|
21
|
RV
|
Southwestern College (Kan.)
|
223
|
|
22
|
22
|
Doane College (Neb.)
|
203
|
|
23
|
9
|
Black Hills State University (S.D.)
|
156
|
|
24
|
25
|
Lindenwood University (Mo.)
|
124
|
|
25
|
NR
|
Vanguard University (Calif.)
|
98
|
Others receiving votes: Kansas Wesleyan University (91); Oklahoma Baptist University (80); Bethel College (Ind.) (64); Evergreen State College (Wash.) (62); Morningside (Iowa) (54); Westmont College (Calif.) (51); Cornerstone University (Mich.) (47); Union University (Tenn.) (28); William Woods University (Mo.) (20); Friends University (Kan.) (14); Montreat College (N.C.) (13); University of British Columbia (10); Mount Mercy College (Iowa) (8); Taylor University (Ind.) (8); Shorter College (Ga.) (3); Illinois Institute of Technology (1); Houghton College (N.Y.) (1); Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) (1); Shawnee State University (Ohio) (1); Park University (Mo.) (1); Eastern Oregon University (1); Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) (1); Dakota State University (S.D.) (1); Central Methodist University (Mo.) (1); Northwestern College (Iowa) (1).
MEN’S TOP 25 POLL
RANK LAST POLL^ SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) TOTAL POINTS
1 1 Malone University (Ohio) (18) 559
2 3 Aquinas College (Mich.) (1) 528
3 6 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) 515
4 19 Simon Fraser University (B.C.) (1) 496
5 7 Concordia University (Neb.) 475
6 10 California State University-San Marcos 462
7 13 Concordia University (Ore.) 459
8 9 Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) 412
9 18 Shorter College (Ga.) 404
10 4 Southern Oregon University 394
11 12 Black Hills State University (S.D.) 358
12 14 Cedarville University (Ohio) 324
13 8 Huntington University (Ind.) 304
14 RV Southwestern College (Kan.) 288
15 RV Wayland Baptist University (Texas) 283
16 NR Cornerstone University (Mich.) 278
17 25 Doane College (Neb.) 261
18 20 Shawnee State University (Ohio) 250
19 11 Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) 231
20 17 Lindenwood University (Mo.) 217
21 RV Milligan College (Tenn.) 191
22 RV Taylor University (Ind.) 178
23 RV Oklahoma Baptist University 151
24 5 Indiana Institute of Technology 149
25 NR University of British Columbia 141
Others receiving votes: Eastern Oregon University (117); Indiana Wesleyan University (114); Dana College (Neb.) (59); Oklahoma Christian University (55); Kansas Wesleyan University (55); McKendree University (Ill.) (48); College of Idaho (44); Lee University (Tenn.) (42); Friends University (Kan.) (18); Bryan College (Tenn.) (17); Hastings College (Neb.) 7; Houghton College (N.Y) (6); Siena Heights University (Mich.) (6); University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) (5); Berea College (Ky.) (3); University of South Carolina - Beaufort (S.C.) (1); Northwood University (Texas) (1); Dakota State University (S.D.) (1); Johnson & Wales University (Colo.) (1); Central Methodist University (Mo.) (1); Soka University of America (Calif.) (1).
