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Joseph Hovey
| Posted: 31 Aug 2021 | Updated: 24 Sep 2021
Men's cross country ranked third in national preseason poll
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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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