The Big Sky Conference released the 2011 Preseason Cross Country poll on Tuesday. The Montana State men were selected to finished second with 67 points, while the women are ranked sixth with 35 points.
Northern Arizona was unanimously selected to finish on top with nine first place votes in the men's poll. Weber State earned five first place votes ahead of Montana (2) and Northern Arizona (2) for the women.
Last year, the Bobcat Men finished second in the conference and the women took sixth.
“We definitely have our work cut out for us, as these rankings show,” said head coach Dale Kennedy who enters his 12th year at the helm of Bobcat Cross Country. “I know our kids are excited to get out there and compete and represent Montana State.”
Voting is calculated by each team receiving nine points for a first place vote, eight 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.
Montana State Cross Country opens the 2011 slate on Saturday, Sept. 17, when they host the Bozeman Running Company Invitational.
