Rio Grande picked to repeat in #RSC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
NEW ALBANY, Ind. -- University of Rio Grande (Ohio) is predicted to repeat as conference champions in the 2017 River States Conference Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll (Aug. 22). The poll was voted on by the league's 12 men's cross country head coaches with the defending-champ RedStorm picked as the favorites.
Rio Grande received eight of the possible 12 first-place votes in the polling. The RedStorm garnered 112 total votes to lead the conference. Rio Grande won the RSC championship in 2016 at the meet hosted by WVU Tech.
Point Park (Pa.) University was picked second in the poll with 97 total votes and two first-place votes. The Pioneers won the conference championship two years ago in 2015.
Asbury (Ky.) University came in third in the preseason poll with 93 votes. The Eagles were second in the conference meet last year, and they will host the conference championship this season.
Ohio Christian University received 91 votes to place fourth in the poll. The Trailblazers ended last year fourth in the conference as well.
WVU Tech earned 87 votes for fifth place, and IU East came in sixth with 85 votes, including the final first-place vote. Last year, WVU Tech finished fifth in the conference while IU East was third.
The rest of the poll including Brescia (Ky.) University (57 votes) in seventh, IU Kokomo (56 votes) in eighth, Cincinnati Christian University (33 votes) in ninth, Carlow (Pa.) University (31 votes) in 10th, Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College (26 votes) in 11th and Midway (Ky.) University (24 votes) in 12th.
The RSC men's cross country season begins Aug. 25 with the first competition of the year for a conference school. Most schools open up the season Sept. 1-2.
The 2017 RSC Men's & Women's Cross Country Championship Meet is Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017 hosted by Asbury (Ky.) University. Now with 12 schools competing in men's cross country, that meet will qualify two RSC teams to the NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship Nov. 18 in Vancouver, Wash.
Follow RSC men's cross country all season long at RiverStatesConference.com and on social media at Facebook.com/RiverStatesConference and on Twitter @RiverStatesConf hashtags #RSC #RSCXC #ReSpeCt
2017 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHE'S POLL (AUG. 22)
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
| School | Votes |
| 1. Rio Grande (Ohio) (8) | 112 |
| 2. Point Park (Pa.) (2) | 97 |
| 3. Asbury (Ky.) | 93 |
| 4. Ohio Christian (1) | 91 |
| 5. WVU Tech | 87 |
| 6. IU East (1) | 85 |
| 7. Brescia (Ky.) | 57 |
| 8. IU Kokomo | 56 |
| 9. Cincinnati Christian | 33 |
| 10. Carlow (Pa.) | 31 |
| 11. Alice Lloyd (Ky.) | 26 |
| 12. Midway (Ky.) | 24 |