Bobcats Picked 3rd, 4th in Big Sky Cross Country Preseason Poll

Bobcats Picked 3rd, 4th in Big Sky Cross Country Preseason Poll

8/16/2021 1:00:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

Montana State has been predicted to finish in familiar territory when the conference cross country championships come around as the Bobcats were slotted to finish third in the women’s competition and fourth in the men’s championship

By: Andrew Pedersen

FARMINGTON, Utah – Montana State has been predicted to finish in familiar territory when the conference cross country championships come around as the Bobcats were slotted to finish third in the women's competition and fourth in the men's championship, as selected by the league's head coaches in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches' Poll released Monday.

Both MSU teams finished in those same spots at the 2021 Big Sky Winter Cross Country Championships.

The Bobcat women's team was led by Camila Noe, who won the 2019 Big Sky title, and finished fourth overall in the latest championship. Other returners from that third-place finish for the Bobcats this season are Mya Dube, Samantha Kelderman, Alex Moore and Lauren Stanford.

MSU's men's squad was led by Duncan Hamilton who earned a runner-up individual showing at the cross country championships last February. His second-place finish was the highest by a Bobcat men's runner in nearly 20 years and qualified him for the NCAA Championships. The Bobcat men's team returns several runners from its championship appearance in Ben Perrin, Matthew Richtman, Isaac Schmidt, Levi Taylor and Cooper West.

The coaches in the Big Sky Conference named two-time defending league champions Northern Arizona a unanimous choice to repeat on the women's side. The Lumberjacks scored just 27 points at the 2021 Winter Championship, which was the lowest point total the league had seen since 2005. NAU (121) was followed by Weber State (104) with MSU (93) and Southern Utah (89) the next two in the poll.

Just over a handful of months removed from claiming their fourth NCAA National Championship in the past five seasons, NAU was voted the preseason favorites in the Big Sky for men's cross country. NAU received the most total points (120) and 10 of 11 possible first-place votes. Southern Utah, who claimed the title this past spring on the men's side, was selected second in the poll with 110 points and the remaining first-place vote. Weber State (97) and Montana State (91) were the next two teams in the coaches' poll.

Montana State's cross country team is gearing up to begin its fall, with the Bobcats looking ahead to hosting the MSU Cross Country Classic on Sept. 18 at Bridger Creek Golf Course.