The Lewis-Clark State College women’s basketball team has been chosen as the team to beat by the Frontier Conference coaches in the league’s annual preseason coaches’ poll, which was released Thursday.

Meanwhile, the men’s team was selected to finish second.

Both LCSC teams are two-time defending conference regular season and conference tournament champions.

The Warrior women lost five players, including four starters from last season, but the Warriors have a good nucleus returning and had an outstanding off season with recruiting, signing five players.

LCSC received 5½ first-place votes in the women’s poll for a total of 47.5 points for the top spot. Carroll received 1½ first-place votes, while the final top vote went to RockyMountain.  Carroll was second in the poll with 40.5 points, followed by Westminster at 38, RockyMountain at 32.5, Montana State-Northern with 24.5, Montana Western at 18, Montana Tech at 16, and Great Falls at 7.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams and a first-place vote was worth seven points, second place worth six, and so on down the line. One coach split his first-place vote between LCSC and Carroll, and another coach split a third-place vote between RockyMountain and MSU-Northern.

The Warrior men return only four players from a year ago and also will have several new faces on the court this season. Westminster, however, was the unanimous No. 1 pick on the men’s side with the rest of the conference coaches picking it as the team to beat. Westminster’s first-place vote went to LCSC, which had 41 points, behind the 49 that Westminster received.

Following the Warriors, RockyMountain was third at 38, followed by CarrollCollege at 29, Montana State-Northern with 26, Montana Western at 21, and Montana Tech and Great Falls, both at 10.

The LCSC women’s basketball team kicks off its season in two weeks when it plays host to Warner Pacific at 7 p.m. on Oct. 30 in the LCSCActivityCenter.

The Warrior men open on Nov. 7 against College of Idaho in a tournament at EasternOregonUniversity.

WOMEN’S POLL – Lewis-Clark State (6) 47.5, Carroll 40.5, Westminster 38, Rocky Mountain 32.5, Montana State-Northern 24.5, Montana Western 18, Montana Tech 16, Great Falls 7.

MEN’S POLL – Westminster 49, Lewis-Clark State 41, Rocky Mountain 38, Carroll 29, MSU-Northern 26, Montana Western 21, Montana Tech and Great Falls 10.