BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The six Southeastern Conference cross country programs that have punched their tickets to this week’s NCAA Cross Country Championships are each ranked among the nation’s top-30 in the final regular-season coaches poll, conducted by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and released on Tuesday.
On the men’s side, Arkansas, the 2012 SEC Champion that finished as runner-up at the NCAA South Central Regional, checks in at No. 11, while Georgia, which placed second at the SEC Cross Country Championships, is ranked No. 27 this week. Fellow SEC teams Florida and Texas A&M also are receiving votes.
Oklahoma State, which captured nine of 12 first-place votes, checks in at No. 1 in the men’s poll and is looking to garner its third national title in the last four years. Stanford, the West Regional Champion, and Iona, the national runner-up in 2007 and 2008, are tied for No. 2 in the latest poll. The reigning national champion, Wisconsin, is ranked No. 4, while Texas checks in at No. 5 nationally.
On the women’s side, Arkansas, the NCAA South Central Regional champion, is the top-rated SEC team at No. 12. Vanderbilt, the runner-up at the NCAA South Regional, is ranked No. 24, while Georgia is rated No. 28 and 2012 SEC Champion Florida checks in at No. 30.
Florida State, which is seeking its first-ever NCAA cross country title, is ranked No. 1 in the women’s poll. The Seminoles are coming off their fifth consecutive South Regional title and earned 10 of 12 first-place votes in the poll. Oregon, looking for its first NCAA cross country title since 1987, checks in at No. 2, while Iowa, which finished seventh at last year’s national championship, is No. 3 this week. Stanford, which last won the NCAA title in 2007, is No. 4, while Arizona is No. 5.
The 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships take place on Saturday at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Ky. The women’s 6K race is scheduled for a 12 p.m. ET start, while the men’s 10K race will begin at 1:15 p.m. ET. A live Webcast will be available on NCAA.com.
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2012 Men’s Poll (11/13/2012)
1. Oklahoma State (9)
T2. Iona
T2. Stanford (1)
4. Wisconsin
5. Texas
6. Oklahoma
7. Colorado (2)
8. BYU
9. Portland
10. Northern Arizona
11. Arkansas
12. Tulsa
13. Michigan
T14. Virginia
T14. Syracuse
16. Oregon
17. Eastern Kentucky
T18. Florida State
T18. Georgetown
20. Columbia
21. New Mexico
22. UCLA
23. Princeton
24. Indiana
25. Villanova
26. Virginia Tech
27. Georgia
28. NC State
29. Notre Dame
30. Michigan State
Others Receiving Votes: Washington, Duke, Florida, Arizona State, Kansas, Texas A&M, Illinois.
2012 Women’s Poll (11/13/2012)
1. Florida State (10)
2. Oregon (1)
3. Iowa State (1)
4. Stanford
5. Arizona
6. Michigan
7. Washington
8. Providence
9. Penn State
10. Duke
11. Georgetown
12. Arkansas
13. Michigan State
14. Connecticut
15. Weber State
16. Cornell
17. New Mexico
18. Notre Dame
19. Texas
20. William and Mary
21. Oklahoma State
22. Villanova
23. Colorado
24. Vanderbilt
25. Minnesota
26. Butler
27. Toledo
28. Georgia
29. Boston College
30. Florida
Others Receiving Votes: Harvard, San Francisco, Princeton, West Virginia, La Salle, NC State.