CORVALLIS, Ore. – For the second consecutive year, the College of Idaho Men’s Cross Country team was predicted to take the Cascade Collegiate Conference title, announced Thursday by the conference office.
C of I earned five first-place votes to hold its spot on top of the poll with 94 points. Although the Yotes placed second at last year's Cascade Collegiate Conference Men’s Cross Country Championship, presented by U.S. Bank, they showed out at the NAIA Championships. The Yotes collected 227 points to finish seventh at the National Championships, leading five CCC teams.
However, it will be another tough year for College of Idaho as two other teams collected first-place votes as well. Eastern Oregon University received three first-place votes, coming in second with 87 points. The Mountaineers placed 12th at last year's NAIA Championships. Southern Oregon University followed with the remaining two first-place votes and 85 points. The Raiders placed ninth at the National Championships last year.
Lewis-Clark State College was next with 67 points, the Warriors placed 19th at last year's National Championship. Oregon Tech rounded out the top five with 59 points, last year the Owls had two runners reach All-American status.
10 points separated the following teams as Northwest University collected 50 points, Corban University earned 40 points, and Bushnell University landed in the eighth spot with 30 points. Multnomah University (27 points) and the new The Evergreen State College (5 points) program round out the CCC teams respectively.
The 2023 CCC Cross Country championships are slated for Nov. 3, hosted by C of I in Caldwell, Idaho. The winner will receive the conference’s automatic qualifier to the NAIA National Championships, which will be hosted by the CCC on Nov. 17th in Vancouver Washington.
2023 CCC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll
| Team (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. College of Idaho (5) |
94 |
| 2. Eastern Oregon University (3) |
87 |
| 3. Southern Oregon University (2) |
85 |
| 4. Lewis-Clark State College |
67 |
| 5. Oregon Tech |
59 |
| 6. Northwest University |
50 |
| 7. Corban University |
40 |
| 8. Bushnell University |
30 |
| 9. Multnomah University |
27 |
| 10. The Evergreen State College |
5 |
*Note: Walla Walla University did not complete the poll therefore are not included.