Utah State Cross Country Picked at Top of WAC Pre-Championship Coaches Poll

Oct. 24, 2007

DENVER, Colo. — Utah State men's cross country was selected to repeat as Western Athletic Conference champions in the pre-championship coaches poll conducted Tuesday [Oct. 23] in Denver. The Aggie women were picked tied for second in the voting.

 

"It wouldn't surprise me to see the polls play out to what they are," said Utah State Head Coach Gregg Gensel. "We're going to try and change the women's side a little."

 

The Aggies racked up seven first-place votes and 36 points. Fresno State captured second place with 25 points, receiving one first-place vote. Boise State and Idaho tied for the third spot with 23 points each. With 15 points, San Jose State was voted fifth. Louisiana Tech (13) and New Mexico State (12) followed closely behind in sixth and seventh place, respectively.

 

"Based on the fact that we've won it the last two years in a row I can understand why the other coaches would vote us to win," Gensel said. "I'm not saying that we don't have a chance to win because we're going to this meet to try and win both the men's and the women's races,"

 

On the women's side, Idaho was selected first with seven-first place votes and 63 overall points. Nevada and Utah State tied for the second spot with one first-place vote and 50 points each. With 43 points, Boise State was selected fourth, followed by Fresno State in fifth place with 35 Points. New Mexico State and San Jose State both received 26 points to tie for the sixth spot. Hawai'i (20) and Louisiana Tech (11) rounded out the polls in eighth and ninth place, respectively.

 

"It's well deserved; those teams have been running well all year long," Gensel said. "We really haven't had a chance to run against them in any races. I think it's going to be a tough race between the top four teams on the women's side."

 

The 2007 Western Athletic Conference cross country championships will take place at the historic American West Heritage Center in Logan, Utah, on Saturday, Oct. 27.