Two-time Defending Champ GVSU Named Preseason No. 1 in Division II Women’s Cross Country

NEW ORLEANS – Back-to-back NCAA Division II women’s cross country champion Grand Valley State is back in 2014 as the unanimous preseason favorite in the Division II National Coaches Poll released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

NCAA Division II National Coaches Poll Top 5 – Women 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) GVSU Adams St. Western St. Minnesota Duluth Chico St. View Complete Women’s National Coaches Poll

The Lakers, going for their third title in a row and fourth in the past five years, garnered all eight first place votes, while Adams State and Western State were unanimous selections at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.

No. 4 Minnesota Duluth and No. 5 Chico State rounded out the preseason top five.

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Division II XC Polls/Rankings Central

Adams State’s men were named the preseason favorite in the men’s edition of the DII National Coaches Poll released Wednesday.

Much more than a obligatory sign of respect to the defending champions, GVSU‘s preseason No. 1 status for the ninth poll in a row is well-earned on the strength of its returners. With five returning All-Americans, head coach Jerry Baltes has GVSU poised as perhaps the team among all three NCAA divisions and both genders best prepared to defend its national title.

Leading the way is the nation’s top returning individual in three-time All-American Allyson Winchester, trailed closely by two-time All-American Jessica Janecke and All-American sophomore Kendra Foley. That trio finished third, ninth and 11th a year ago, with two more All-Americans in senior Hannah Osborn and junior Jordan Chester – the latter of whom didn’t even score for the Lakers a year ago.

The Lakers’ five All-Americans is equal to the combined five total from the remaining top-five teams.

No. 2 Adams State is the only other top-five team with multiple All-Americans with three top-40 finishers and four of five scorers overall coming back from last year’s runner-up squad. Two-time All-American senior Lauren Martin, who finished sixth a year ago, is the top returner for her head coach/father Damon Martin, along with 15th-place sophomore Maura O’Brien and 32nd-place senior Jesse Burnett.

This marks the 17th consecutive poll in which Adams State has been No. 2.

The Grizzlies’ runner-up finish to GVSU a year ago by a score of 54-91 was the closest they have come to reclaiming the dominant form they showed throughout the first decade of the new millennium. Adams State won each and every title from 2003 through 2009.

Back at No. 3 in the poll for the sixth edition in a row after a third-place national finish in 2013 is Western State. Three of five scorers are back for head coach Jen Michels’ Mountaineers, including two-time All-American junior Julie Pack, who finished 35th last year and ninth in 2012. Pack leads a group of four returning top-75 finishers.

At its highest preseason rank since the beginning of the USTFCCCA archive in 2009, No. 4 Minnesota Duluth is in the poll’s top five for the first time since week two of the 2010 season. Just 10th at NCAAs a year ago, all seven of head coach Joanna Warmington’s Bulldogs from that nationals team are back with another year under their belts.

Led by All-American sophomore Samantha Rivard, who was eighth overall a year ago, UMD has five top-100 runners returning – a total topped only by No. 1 GVSU.

Rounding out the top five was Chico State, last year’s sixth-place squad. Head coach Gary Towne’s Wildcats are absent any returning All-Americans, but they return four women who finished in the top 100, led by sophomore Haley Kroll (61st).

No. 6 Augustana (S.D.), which won the 2011 national title; No. 7 Metro State; No. 8 Hillsdale; No. 9 Saginaw Valley State; and No. 10 Winona State completed the top five.

At No. 7, Metro State is the third and final team to return multiple All-Americans from last year. Head coach Nick Maas’ Roadrunners return both seventh-place sophomore Breanna Hemming and 14th-place junior Janelle Lincks from their eighth-place team.

Hillsdale made the biggest jump into the top 10, up seven spots from its 15th-place team finish at NCAAs. This is the Chargers’ first top-10 appearance dating back to the beginning of the USTFCCCA archives in 2009. Joining them from the GLIAC as a first-time top-10 team during that span is Saginaw Valley State.

Just outside the top 10, No. 11 Cal Baptist is in the hunt after not qualifying for NCAAs in 2013.

The RMAC led all conferences with five top-25 teams – three of which are in the top seven — while the NSIC and GLIAC both checked in with four.

The South Central Region put a nation-best six teams in the top-25, while the West, MIdwest and Central regions all placed five in the poll.

The Division II National Championships will be held Saturday, December 6, in Louisville, Kentucky.