The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its cross country preseason coaches’ poll announced Thursday (August 28). The Michigan Tech men’s squad was selected to finish third with 67 points, while the women were tabbed to finish fifth with 65 points. Grand Valley State earned the top spot with the men’s team earning nine first-place votes totaling 81 points, as the women’s team earned 10 first-place votes and 100 points.
The men of Michigan Tech return five runners from the squad that earned an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championships with a third-place team finish in the Midwest Regionals, ultimately finishing 23rd at the National Meet. All-Region runner Colman Lenci is the top returner from a season ago, earning All-Region honors with a 23rd-place individual finish and a second-team All-GLIAC finisher, claiming 20th overall.
Sophia Rhein is the top-returner from the women’s team that took 14th at the regional meet and fifth-place at the GLIAC Championships. Rhein was a second-team All-GLIAC finisher a season ago, taking 11th individually.
Coach Young brings in a stellar freshman class of 15 student-athletes, with 11 on the men’s side and four on the women’s squad, that could make an appearance on the grass this season for the Black & Gold.
The Huskies' season begins on Friday, Sept. 6, at the Phoenix Open hosted by the University of Green Bay.
