Joseph Hovey | Posted: 31 Aug 2021 | Updated: 24 Sep 2021

Men's cross country ranked third in national preseason poll

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BYU men's cross country preseason rankings
BYU Women's XC #1 Preseason Ranking

NEW ORLEANS – The BYU women’s and men’s cross country teams were ranked No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, when the USTFCCCA released its national preseason coaches poll on Tuesday.

BYU women’s cross country topped the national poll with 322 points and enters the 2021 season as the reigning NCAA Division I National Champions. The Cougars were the only team from the West Coast Conference ranked in the coaches poll, while WCC foes Portland and San Francisco were listed as receiving votes.

This season BYU women’s cross country will compete in meets hosted by two teams ranked in the preseason poll. The Cougars will take on No. 18 Florida State at the FSU XC Open in Tallahassee, Florida on Friday, Sep. 17 and No. 29 Wisconsin at the Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, Oct. 15.

BYU men’s cross country received 299 points to stand at No. 3 in the poll behind only Northern Arizona and Notre Dame. The men finished the 2020 season ranked No. 7 following a third-place finish at the NCAA National Championships. Portland (No. 16) joined BYU as the only other WCC team to be featured Tuesday’s poll.

The Cougars’ in-state cross country rivals Utah State (No. 19) and Southern Utah (No. 24) were also ranked on Tuesday. BYU and Utah State will compete at the Reeder Invitational in Logan, Utah on Friday, Oct. 8.

Both BYU cross country teams were also highly-ranked in the USTFCCCA’S preseason regional rankings.

Women’s cross country ranked No. 1 in the Mountain Region while the men’s team ranked No. 2 behind perennial power Northern Arizona.

BYU is set to begin the 2021 cross country season at the Autumn Classic at Timpanogos Country Club on Saturday, Sep. 11.

 

USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country National Coaches' Poll | Top-10

Ranking Team Conference
1.  Northern Arizona Big Sky
2.  Notre Dame ACC
3.  BYU WCC
4. Oregon Pac-12
5. Stanford Pac-12
6. Arkansas SEC
7. Oklahoma State Big 12
8.  Tulsa American
9. Butler Big East
10. Iona MAAC

USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country National Coaches' Poll | Top-10

Ranking Team Conference
1. BYU WCC
2. NC State ACC
3. Stanford Pac-12
4. New Mexico Mountain West
5. Michigan State Big Ten
6. Arkansas SEC
7. Alabama SEC
8. Colorado Pac-12
9. Minnesota Big Ten
10. Washington Pac-12

USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Mountain Region Preseason Rankings

Ranking Team
1. Northern Arizona
2. BYU
3. Colorado
4. Utah State
5. Southern Utah
6. Air Force
7. Weber State
8. Colorado State
9. Utah Valley
10. New Mexico
11. Wyoming
12. Montana State
13. UTEP
14. Idaho State
15. Texas Tech

USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Mountain Region Preseason Rankings

Ranking Team
1. BYU
2. New Mexico
3. Colorado
4. Northern Arizona
5. Colorado State
6. Utah
7. Weber State
8. Utah Valley
9. Utah State
10. Air Force
11. Southern Utah
12. Wyoming
13. Montana State
14. Nevada
15. UTEP

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