The Simon Fraser Clan women are ranked No. 8 in the U.S. Track and Field Cross-Country Coaches Association preseason Division II coaches poll released today (Thursday).
The Clan is ranked eighth with 142 points after winning both the Great Northwest conference and West region championships before placing seventh at the NCAA championships in 2014. SFU was picked to repeat as conference champion in the preseason coaches poll.
Simon Fraser is also ranked No. 2 in the region behind Chico State, which is ranked No. 7 nationally.
Grand Valley State, the three-time defending team champion, leads the women’s poll with 200 points, with all eight first-place votes. Hillsdale enters the season at No. 2.
Coming off its first-ever appearance at the Div. II national championships, the Simon Fraser men's program has been ranked 25th nationally.
The Clan men were picked to finish third in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and are ranked No. 6 in the West region.
The SFU men’s program enjoyed its best-season since joining the Great Northwest and the NCAA in 2014.
The Clan men's team finished third in the conference and followed that up with a sixth-place finish at the West region championships to earn its first trip to the NCAA national meet, where they placed 20th.
SFU's Oliver Jorgensen will be looking for his third straight top-10 conference finish after placing sixth last year and seventh as a freshman. Marc-Antoine Rouleau and Cameron Proceviat provide solid depth after finishing 13th and 16th, respectively, at the conference meet.
Two-time defending Div. II men’s champion Adams State leads the preseason poll with 198 points, which include six of eight first-place votes. Grand Valley State is picked to finished second.
The 2015 cross country season begins for the Clan at the Ash Creek Invitational in Monmouth, Oregon on Sept. 11.
