GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- With the 2012 cross country season set to kick off this week, the Big Sky Conference has released its annual preseason coaches poll.
Defending conference champion Weber State was the unanimous choice to defend its title, receiving 11 first-place votes for 121 points.
North Dakota was selected 10th. Head coach Dick Clay guided his squad to a Great West Conference runner-up finish last year and returns the 2010 GWC Athlete of the Year in senior Lindsay Anderson, who redshirted last season.
Sophomore Erin Wysocki also returns after claiming GWC Freshman of the Year and All-GWC First Team honors a year ago. She is one of seven letterwinners returning from last year's squad.
Voting was calculated by each team receiving 11 points for a first place
vote, 10 points for a second place vote, etc. Coaches are allowed to
vote for their respective teams. Below are the final results with the
number of first place votes in parenthesis.
The 2012 season starts Friday, Aug. 31 with six teams in action and Saturday, Sept. 1 with three teams competing. UND will open at North Dakota State's Bison Invitational on Friday at 5 p.m.
School, Points (1st-place votes)
Weber State, 121 (11)
Northern Arizona, 102
Montana, 95
Idaho State, 86
Montana State, 71
Southern Utah, 67
Sacramento State, 65
Eastern Washington, 39
Northern Colorado, 29
North Dakota, 29
Portland State, 22
