Oregon Men Seek Back-to-Back Cross Country Titles
Mountain and West Regions Each Place Five in Top 30

NEW ORLEANS – Though Oregon doesn’t open its cross country season until October 4th at home, the Ducks will begin 2008 as the top ranked team in the country as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the Division I men’s cross country national poll on Tuesday.

Oregon, who returns all five All-Americans from last year’s NCAA Championship team, will look to repeat again in 2008. The Ducks won the men’s overall title in impressive fashion scoring 85 points en route to their first team title since 1977. It also marked the first time since 1979 that the Ducks placed all five runners in the top 50.

The Ducks are led by 2008 U.S. Olympians Galen Rupp (2007 NCAA Individual Champ) and Andrew Wheating. They also return Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott, a Pac-10 medalist in 2007.

The Men’s Division I Cross Country National Poll:

Ranking Team (first place votes) Region/Rank Totals
1. Oregon (12) West-1 360
2. Oklahoma State Midwest-1 345
3. Colorado Mountain-1 306
4. Iona College Northeast-1 303
5. Alabama South-1 301
6. Wisconsin Great Lakes-2 291
7. Portland West-2 262
8. Michigan Great Lakes-1 260
9. Minnesota Midwest-2 257
10. Georgetown Mid-Atlantic-1 255
11. Stanford West-3 207
12. UTEP Mountain-4 196
13. Virginia Southeast-2 186
14. Texas South Central-1 175
15. New Mexico Mountain-2 170
16. North Carolina State Southeast-1 166
17. Northern Arizona Mountain-3 157
18. Providence Northeast-2 152
19. California West-4 150
20. Notre Dame Great Lakes-3 140
21. Cal Poly West-5 120
22. Arkansas South Central-3 106
23. William & Mary Southeast-3 97
24. Florida State South-3 88
25. Auburn South-2 85
26. Texas A&M South Central-2 82
26. Villanova Mid-Atlantic-2 82
28. Syracuse Northeast-3 50
29. Iowa State Midwest-3 42
30. BYU Mountain-5 35

ORV: Princeton 34, Louisville 24, Indiana 17, Arizona State 16, Tulsa 13, Michigan State 12, UCLA 8, Missouri 1.