Women Picked Eighth, Men 12th, In USTFCCCA Preseason Polls

NEW ORLEANS — With the 2021 NCAA Cross Country season a few days from beginning, the United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has released its preseason polls and the University of Colorado has both programs selected in the top-15.
 
The women's team will start the season ranked eighth after recording a seventh-place finish at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championship on March 15, 2021. The Buffs return all seven runners from that NCAA team including All-American Abby Nichols who led the team with an 18th-place finish.
 
CU picked up 256 points in the poll, just six fewer than seventh-ranked Alabama (250) and 10 less than sixth-place Arkansas (260).
 
There is not much surprise the preseason favorite is the reigning NCAA Champion, BYU, as they recorded eight first-place votes (out of 11) and 322 points. The NCAA runner-up, NC State, received a pair of first-place votes and 318 points. Stanford, which finished third at NCAAs, recorded the final first-place vote and 308 points for third. New Mexico (293) and Michigan State (281) round out the top five, respectively.
 
In the men's rankings, CU came in 12th, moving up two positions from their 14th-place finish at nationals with 200 points. Like the women, they return all seven harriers from that team and look to improve on their finish.
 
Northern Arizona, the men's 2020 NCAA Champion, is the preseason favorite, picking up 10 first-place votes and 328 points. Second-place Notre Dame received the other first-place vote for 308 points while BYU, which finished seventh at NCAAs, moved up to third with 299 points. Oregon (288) edged Stanford (285) for fourth, pushing the Cardinal to fifth.
 
In the NCAA Mountain Region rankings, the Buffaloes are both third.  The women are behind BYU and New Mexico, which placed sixth at nationals, while the men are just behind Northern Arizona and seventh-place finisher BYU.
 
The first meet of the season for Colorado is Friday, September 3, as the Buffs will travel north to Cheyenne, Wyo. for the Wyoming Invitational. Both teams will race a 5-kilometer course. The women will go first at 6 p.m. MT and the men will follow at 6:30 p.m.  
 
 
USTFCCCA Women's Preseason Poll – August 31
 

 
 
 
USTFCCCA Men's Preseason Poll – August 31