PORTLAND, Ore. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference released their Preseason Men's and Women's Cross Country Poll early Thursday afternoon. The Wildcat Men's Cross Country team was picked sixth while the Wildcat Women's Cross Country team was slotted ninth in the GNAC.
The Wildcat Men's Cross Country team saw improvement under now second year Head Coach
Jonathan Hill as the team placed sixth at the GNAC Championships and then backed it up with a 14th-place finish at the NCAA West Regional Championship.
Johan Correa will be back after posting the highest Men's NCAA Cross Country finish in CWU history last season finishing 17th, completing the 10K in a time of 29:50.3. His finish earned him All-American honors which placed him as the first All-American in CWU Men's Cross Country history. Correa also won the West Region Championship meet with a time of 30:42.1. The Wildcats will return a majority of their squad from a season ago adding four newcomers including two transfers.
The Wildcat Women's Cross Country team will look vastly different this year with nine newcomers to the roster as well as
Zoe McDevitt looking to make a smooth transition from the Track and Field team to Cross Country. Sophomores
Hannah Mikkelsen and
Camryn Holterhoff will be back after leading the 'Cats during their freshmen campaigns. Mikkelsen and Holterhoff finished back-to-back at the NCAA West Region Championship last season with Holterhoff finishing 132nd with a time of 24:25.1 and Mikkelsen right behind with a time of 24:52.2.
The 'Cats will open the 2024 season on Saturday, Sept. 14 when they run at the Green River Gator Invitational in Lakewood, Wash. They'll stay on the west side for their meet the following weekend when they participate in the Pacific Lutheran Invitational in Tacoma, Wash. on Saturday, Sept. 21. October will be a busy month for CWU as they travel to Salem, Ore. to run at the George Bowles Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 5. The 'Cats will head back to Washington to run at the Emerald City Open in Seattle on Saturday, Oct. 12. The crimson and black will keep heading north as they travel to the GNAC Championships on Saturday, Oct. 26 in Bellingham, Wash. The 'Cats will then look to keep the season going at the NCAA West Region Championships on Saturday, Nov. 9 in Billings, Mont. If qualified, the teams or individuals will then head to the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 23.
2024 GNAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
| Rank |
Team (1st Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Western Washington (9) |
99 |
| 2 |
Alaska Fairbanks (1) |
81 |
| 3 |
Simon Fraser |
78 |
| 4 |
Saint Martin's |
67 |
| 5 |
Alaska Anchorage |
65 |
| 6 |
Western Oregon |
56 |
| 7 |
Seattle Pacific |
42 |
| 8 |
Northwest Nazarene |
29 |
| 9 |
Central Washington |
23 |
| 10 |
Montana State Billings |
11 |
2024 GNAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
| Rank |
Team (1st Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Western Washington (10) |
100 |
| 2 |
Simon Fraser |
83 |
| 3 |
Alaska Anchorage |
79 |
| 4 |
Western Oregon |
77 |
| 5 |
Northwest Nazarene |
59 |
| 6 |
Central Washington |
51 |
| 7 |
Saint Martin's |
39 |
| 8 |
Seattle Pacific |
31 |
| 9 |
Alaska Fairbanks |
17 |
| 10 |
Montana State Billings |
14 |
View the full GNAC release
HERE
