Grand Valley State and Ashland Appear in the USTFCCCA Preseason Cross Country Poll

Grand Valley State and Ashland Appear in the USTFCCCA Preseason Cross Country Poll

Release courtesy of Tom Lewis, Communications Manager, USTFCCCA

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its national and regional team preseason rankings for the 2011 NCAA Division II cross country season. The men’s team of Adams State College was picked as the season’s first No. 1 team as the Grizzlies will be defending a three-peat of NCAA crowns.

For the complete release on the USTFCCCA website click here

Adams State has won the past three NCAA cross country titles and took last year’s event, 57-102, over nearest challenger current-No. 2 Western State. At last year’s snowy championships, Adams State placed five of their runners in the race’s top 25. Of that group, Craig Hugger and Keegan Calmes are expected to return along with Edwin Cruz and Nathaniel Sellers who were ASU’s six and seven, placing in the race’s top 35.

The preseason top six in the men’s rankings follow the exact order of finish from the 2010 NCAA Cross Country Championships as Grand Valley State stands at No. 3, followed by No.4 Colorado Mines, No. 5 Chico State, and No. 6 Augustana (S.D.).

The RMAC placed six men’s teams in the national top 25 to lead all conferences. Along with having three of the nation’s top four ranked teams, the RMAC has No. 17 Metro State, No. 21 New Mexico Highlands, and No. 23 Neb.-Kearney ranked in the preseason. The GLVC, GNAC, and PSAC follow with three teams in the top 25 apiece.

USTFCCCA D-II Men's Cross Country National Team Rankings

Rank

Institution

Region

Conference

Location

2010 FINAL

1

Adams State

Central

RMAC

Alamosa, Colo.

1

2

Western State

Central

RMAC

Gunnison, Colo.

2

3

Grand Valley State

Midwest

GLIAC

Allendale, Mich.

3

4

Colorado Mines

Central

RMAC

Golden, Colo.

4

5

Chico State

West

CCAA

Chico, Calif.

5

6

Augustana (S.D.)

Central

NSIC

Sioux Falls, S.D.

6

7

Southern Indiana

Midwest

GLVC

Evansville, Ind.

10

8

Lock Haven

Atlantic

PSAC

Lock Haven, Pa.

11

9

Edinboro

Atlantic

PSAC

Edinboro, Pa.

DNQ

10

Shippensburg

Atlantic

PSAC

Shippensburg, Pa.

7

11

UMass Lowell

East

Northeast-10

Lowell, Mass.

13

12

Alaska Anchorage

West

GNAC

Anchorage, Alaska

8

13

Queens (N.C.)

Southeast

Conf. Carolinas

Charlotte, N.C.

12

14

Central Missouri

South Central

MIAA

Warrensburg, Mo.

16

15

Metro State

Central

RMAC

Denver, Colo.

17

16

Bellarmine

Midwest

GLVC

Louisville, Ky.

22

17

East Central (Okla.)

South Central

Great American

Ada, Okla.

DNQ

18

Ashland

Midwest

GLIAC

Ashland, Ohio

DNQ

19

Western Washington

West

GNAC

Bellingham, Wash.

9

20

Stonehill

East

Northeast-10

Easton, Mass.

21

21

New Mexico Highlands

Central

RMAC

Las Vegas, N.M.

DNQ

22

Western Oregon

West

GNAC

Monmouth, Ore.

20

23

Neb.-Kearney

Central

RMAC

Kearney, Neb.

DNQ

24

Cal Poly Pomona

West

CCAA

Pomona, Calif.

DNQ

25

UW Parkside

Midwest

GLVC

Kenosha, Wis.

DNQ

 

USTFCCCA Midwest Region

Rank

School

Location

Conference

Last Week

1

Grand Valley State

Allendale, Mich.

GLIAC

1

2

Southern Indiana

Evansville, Ind.

GLVC

2

3

Bellarmine

Louisville, Ky.

GLVC

3

4

Ashland

Ashland, Ohio

GLIAC

5

5

UW Parkside

Kenosha, Wis.

GLVC

6

6

Drury

Springfield, Mo.

GLVC

3

7

Lewis

Romeoville, Ill.

GLVC

9

8

Hillsdale

Hillsdale, Mich.

GLIAC

10

9

Northern Kentucky

Highland Heights, Ky.

GLVC

11

10

Ferris State

Big Rapids, Mich.

GLIAC

12