CORVALLIS, Ore. – New Cascade Collegiate Conference full member Lewis-Clark State College was predicted to win the men’s cross country championship, while the College of Idaho was predicted to defend its crown on the women’s side in the 2020-21 CCC Cross Country Preseason Polls, announced Thursday.
After COVID-19 pushed back the start of the cross country season, the CCC Cross Country Championship Meet will take place on March 26, 2021 in Klamath Falls, Ore.
On the men’s side, LC State grabbed 118 points to take first place in the poll, besting defending champion College of Idaho (103 points) by 15 points. The Warriors picked up nine first-place votes after finishing third overall at the 2019 NAIA National Championship Meet – their best finish in program history. The Warriors return a solid squad – every runner that raced at nationals is set to return – with three All-American seniors leading the pack.
The Coyotes, who also had a great finish last fall, won their second-straight CCC championship and took fifth at the national meet. Head coach Austin Basterrechea, the CCC and USTFCCCA Coach of the Year, will have some shoes to fill as C of I loses All-Americans Alex Martin, who took third-overall at NAIA championship.
Southern Oregon University was just three points behind C of I in the poll, picking up 100 points. The Raiders finished 12
th at the NAIA Championship after grabbing second at the conference championship.
Oregon Tech (88 points) and Eastern Oregon University (81 points) round out the top five on the preseason poll, while Northwest University (53 points), Bushnell University (51 points) and Corban University (47 points) sit in the six through eight spots. Warner Pacific University (30 points), Walla Walla University (23 points) and Multnomah University (18 points) close out the men’s poll.
On the women’s side, the Coyotes were picked to defend their title. C of I grabbed eight first-place votes and 117 points to take the top spot. The Yotes put on a solid finale performance, defeating four teams ranked above them at the National Championship to finish second overall, with all five of their scoring runners in the Top-60.
SOU and newcomer LCSC were neck-and-neck in second and third, with the Raiders slightly edging out the Warriors 98 points to 96. SOU took second at the CCC Championship and ninth at the NAIA Championship.
The Warrior women were one of the final teams selected for an at-large bid to the 2019 NAIA meet and finished 18
th overall. LC State returns 10 runners for the upcoming season, bringing a lot of experience into the new year.
Oregon Tech wasn’t far behind LCSC, picking up 93 points in the preseason poll for fourth place. Eastern Oregon rounded out the top-five with 83 points. Bushnell University (58 points), Northwest University (57 points), and Corban (49 points) filled in spots six through eight. WPU (39 points), Multnomah (20 points) and WWU (16 points) closed out the preseason poll.
The first national poll is set to be released by the NAIA office on Oct. 1.