MAC Announces 2018 Cross Country Preseason Poll
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference announced today the 2018 MAC Men’s and Women’s Cross Country preseason polls as voted on by the Conference head coaches. The Cross Country coaches’ have respectively selected the Eastern Michigan women's team and the Miami men's team lift the trophy in Toledo as MAC Champions this season.
The Miami RedHawks men's team will look to earn their first Cross Country title since 1998 as they prepare to build on a 2017 season that saw them finish second place overall at the MAC Championship. Miami will return 2017 All-MAC first team member David Coffey as well as two second team members to the 2018 squad.
The head coaches selected defending champions Eastern Michigan to finish second in the poll, with Central Michigan third and Bowling Green fourth. Buffalo, Akron, Ohio, Kent State and Toledo round out the men’s poll respectively.
The EMU women will look to make it four straight MAC Championships in 2018. 2017 Coach of the Year Sue Parks will return All-MAC second team recipients Natalie Cizmas and Sydney Meyers as captains for the 2018 season.
Toledo, Miami, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, and Buffalo took the top half of the tally. While Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Ohio, Akron, Ball State, and Kent State respectively complete the women's poll.
The 2018 cross country season kicks off Friday. Click
here for the complete schedule.
2018 Women’s MAC Cross Country Preseason Poll (First place votes) - points
1. Eastern Mich. (6) – 127
2. Toledo (4) – 114
3. Miami (1) – 111
4. Northern Illinois – 101
5. Bowling Green - 85
6. Buffalo – 71
7. Central Mich. - 69
8. Western Mich. - 64
9. Ohio – 51
10. Akron – 36
11. Ball State – 30
12. Kent State - 23
2018 Men’s MAC Cross Country Preseason Poll (First place votes) - points
1. Miami (8) - 81
2. Eastern Mich. (1) - 66
3. Central Mich. - 58
4. Bowling Green - 51
5. Buffalo - 46
6. Akron - 43
7. Ohio - 35
8. Kent State - 22
9. Toledo – 12
