National Champions in Very Different Positions in Preseason DI Cross Country Regional Team Rankings

NEW ORLEANS – With the Division I Cross Country season set to kick off this weekend, last year’s men’s and women’s national team champions find themselves in much different positions in the preseason Regional Team Rankings released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Monday afternoon.

With everyone back for men’s champion Colorado, the Buffaloes will begin their 2014 title defense atop the Mountain Region – arguably the toughest region in the country with three of last year’s top four teams in Colorado, runner-up Northern Arizona and fourth-place BYU ranked in that order.

The Providence women face a much steeper uphill climb to reclaim their national title. With All-Americans Emily Sisson and Laura Nagel now out of the picture, the Friars were tabbed third in the Northeast Region behind upstart squads at Syracuse (third in the regionals in 2013) and Boston College (fifth in the region).

Regional Rankings Summary PDF | Division I XC Rankings Central

How these teams fare in the preseason National Coaches Poll will be revealed Tuesday.

Another men’s region that could challenge the Mountain for the title of deepest in the nation is the West. Last year’s regional runner-up Oregon – led by defending individual national champ Edward Cheserek – is in the top spot to begin the season over reigning champion Stanford and third-place Portland.

Indiana of the Great Lakes Region embodies the trend most deeply. Despite finishing fourth in their region a year ago, the Hoosiers stormed to an eighth-place national finish and return most of their cast. Regional champ Michigan begins No. 3 behind Wisconsin.

Likewise, NC State and Florida State moved up from third at last year’s Southeast and South region championships, respectively, to preseason favorite status in 2014. Southeast champ Eastern Kentucky begins No. 3, while the South champ Georgia dropped all the way to No. 5.

Defending regional men’s champions selected as the preseason favorites were Arkansas (South Central), Villanova (Mid-Atlantic), Syracuse (Northeast), and Oklahoma State (Midwest).

Meanwhile in a trend very much the opposite of the men, the defending national champion Friar women are on the outside looking in as six of the nine regional champions from 2013 return as preseason favorites.

West Region champion Arizona took the biggest hit as the Wildcats checked in down at No. 7, while Villanova was edged out by Georgetown for the top spot in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Taking over in the West is Oregon, which finished third a year ago at their Regional Championships.

Reigning regional champions who start at No. 1 include Michigan (Great Lakes), Colorado (Mountain), Arkansas (South Central), Virginia (Southeast), Iowa State (Midwest), and Florida State (South).

NCAA Division I Regional Championships will be held around the country Friday, November 14.

USTFCCCA Regional Cross Country Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning team strength with current-season results in determining predicted team finishes at the NCAA Regional Championships.