Men's Cross Country | 08/16/24 | 3:23 PM
HELENA, Mont.- Defending Frontier Conference Champions Carroll College were picked to yet again defend both their Men's and Women's Cross Country titles in the 2024 Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll.
Without question, the Carroll Cross Country teams have built perennial contenders on both the Men's and Women's side of the NAIA Cross Country scene. The Carroll Men, winners of three-straight Frontier titles, and the Carroll Women, winners of four-straight Frontier titles, were picked by the league's coaches to once again hoist the trophies at the end of the year.
Carroll received five of the six first-place votes on the men's side, leading the pack with 25 total points. The Fighting Saints return four of their five scorers from last season's conference championship, including all four All-Conference honorees.
On the women's side, the Fighting Saints received four of the six first-place votes to lead the way with 24 total points. The Carroll women finished with six runners inside the top 13 at last year's conference meet and return all but one of those student-athletes this Fall.
The Frontier Conference sent three teams to the NAIA Men's XC National Championship Meet last season. Carroll College earned an automatic qualifying bid to the NAIA Men's Cross Country Championships last season, as the Frontier Conference champions, and the Saints will look to improve on their 20th-place team finish from a year ago.
The four-time-running Carroll Women also earned the autobid for the NAIA Women's XC National Championship Meet in 2023. They will look to up their team finish of 25th in the national meet this coming Fall.
Head Coach Shannon Flynn, both Men's and Women's Frontier Conference Coach of the Year for the last three seasons, has her squads on campus and preparing for a busy 2024 slate of meets. The Saints will officially kick things off in Bozeman, Mont. on August 30 at the Bobcat Twilight meet before conference events start in September.
The full 2024 XC Preseason Coaches' Polls can be found below.
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. First place is worth five points, second place is worth four points, third place is worth three points, fourth place is worth two points, and fifth place is worth one point.
2024 Men's XC Preseason Coaches Poll
|
Rank
|
School (First Place Votes)
|
Total Points
|
|
1st
|
Carroll College (5)
|
25
|
|
T-2nd
|
Rocky Mountain College (1)
|
19
|
|
T-2nd
|
Montana Tech
|
19
|
|
T-4th
|
Montana Western
|
11
|
|
T-4th
|
Providence
|
11
|
|
6th
|
MSU-Northern
|
5
|
2024 Women's XC Preseason Coaches Poll
|
Rank
|
School (First Place Votes)
|
Total Points
|
|
1st
|
Carroll College (4)
|
24
|
|
2nd
|
Montana Tech
|
20
|
|
3rd
|
Rocky Mountain College (2)
|
19
|
|
4th
|
Montana Western
|
12
|
|
5th
|
Providence
|
10
|
|
6th
|
MSU-Northern
|
5
|
Visit www.carrollathletics.com to continue to stay up to date on everything going on in Carroll Athletics.
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