Men Rank Third, Women Represented in Pre-Championship Poll
11/13/2017 2:45:00 PM | Cross Country
The Syracuse men's cross country team remained at No. 3 and received a first place vote, while the women's team is back in the poll, checking in at No. 28 in the final USTFCCCA National Cross Country Coaches' Poll before Friday's NCAA Championships.
Northern Arizona will be the title favorite according to the poll, racking up 357 points and nine of the 12 first place votes. BYU ranks second with 348 points and a pair of first place votes. 'Cuse garnered 334 points and the remaining first place vote. Portland (318) and Colorado (308) round out the top-five. Only once in the last-three seasons as the pre-championship favorite came away with the title on the men's side.
The Orange men once again swept the ACC and NCAA Northeast Regional titles this season and have been ranked in the top-six every week since the fourth poll of 2014, and have been in the top-10 of every poll since the final two polls of 2013.
The women, which moved up to 28th, racking up 38 points after earning an at large selection to the championship to join the men. It's the first time they've appeared in the poll this season after a fourth place finish at the ACC Championship and a third place finish at the NCAA Northeast Regional over the weekend.
Both teams will return to Louisville – the site of the 2015 NCAA Championships where the men won their second title in program history and the women turned in a program-best 12th place finish. The teams also raced there in October at the ACC Championships where the men won the team title and Justyn Knight and Paige Stoner swept the individual championships. The NCAA Championship will get underway on Saturday morning at 10:45 a.m.
Â
Northern Arizona will be the title favorite according to the poll, racking up 357 points and nine of the 12 first place votes. BYU ranks second with 348 points and a pair of first place votes. 'Cuse garnered 334 points and the remaining first place vote. Portland (318) and Colorado (308) round out the top-five. Only once in the last-three seasons as the pre-championship favorite came away with the title on the men's side.
The Orange men once again swept the ACC and NCAA Northeast Regional titles this season and have been ranked in the top-six every week since the fourth poll of 2014, and have been in the top-10 of every poll since the final two polls of 2013.
The women, which moved up to 28th, racking up 38 points after earning an at large selection to the championship to join the men. It's the first time they've appeared in the poll this season after a fourth place finish at the ACC Championship and a third place finish at the NCAA Northeast Regional over the weekend.
Both teams will return to Louisville – the site of the 2015 NCAA Championships where the men won their second title in program history and the women turned in a program-best 12th place finish. The teams also raced there in October at the ACC Championships where the men won the team title and Justyn Knight and Paige Stoner swept the individual championships. The NCAA Championship will get underway on Saturday morning at 10:45 a.m.
Â
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
Highlights | Women's ACC XC Championships
Friday, October 29
Highlights | ACC Men's XC Championship
Friday, October 29
'Cuse Connections - Olympics | Justyn Knight
Thursday, July 29
Highlights | ACC XC Championships
Friday, October 30
