Men's Cross Country Enters Season Ranked 26th in USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll
8/30/2023 12:36:00 PM | Men's Cross Country
Bobcats return five of top seven runners from last year's team that finished 25th at NCAA National Championships
BOZEMAN, Montana -- The Montana State men's cross country team enters their highly-anticipated 2023 season ranked 26th in the preseason edition of the USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll, released on Wednesday.
The selection into the top-30 marks the second straight season that the Bobcats have earned a preseason national ranking.
Last fall, the men checked in at No. 24 before embarking on a memorable season that included a runner-up finish at the Big Sky Championships, a fifth-place result at the NCAA Mountain Regional meet, and an at-large team berth to the NCAA National Championships, the program's first appearance since 2002.
The men reached as high as 18th in the national poll, their highest ranking since the 2002 team that finished 11th at NCAAs.
This season, the Bobcat men return five of their seven top finishers from the squad that finished 25th at the NCAA National Championships, including All-American Matthew Richtman.
On Tuesday, the Bobcat men's cross country team was ranked fifth in the USTFCCCA Mountain Region preseason poll, while the Bobcat women were ranked eleventh.
Montana State cross country opens up their 2023 season this Friday evening with the MSU Bobcat Twilight, featuring two five-kilometer races around Dyche Field adjacent to Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.
The men's race gets underway at 7:20 p.m., while the women will race at 7:45 p.m.
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