WVU Tech picked first in 2021 RSC Men's Cross Country Coaches' Poll
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- Three-time defending conference champion WVU Tech was selected as the preseason favorite in the 2021 River States Conference Men's Cross Country Coaches' Poll that was conducted before the season. The Golden Bears have won the last three RSC titles and are favored to win again this year with 10 first-place votes in the voting conducted by the league's head coaches prior to the season.
WVU Tech garnered 138 total votes with a gap of 10 votes before Indiana University Kokomo, which was picked as conference runner-up with 128 total votes. The Cougars received the remaining three first-place votes and moved up a spot after finishing third in the conference last year.
Point Park (Pa.) University was runner-up last year but came in third in the poll with 123 votes. University of Rio Grande (Ohio) was fourth with 103 followed by Midway (Ky.) University in fifth at 91. The top half of the conference was rounded out with Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College (85 votes) in sixth and Indiana University East (80 votes) in seventh. Ohio Christian garnered 77 votes for eighth.
There are now 13 men's cross country teams in the conference with the addition of new conference member schools St. Mary of the Woods (Ind.) College and Ohio Valley (W.Va.) University. That's up from 12 teams last year along with the departure of Asbury (Ky.) University. See below for the complete coaches' poll.
2021 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY COACHES' POLL
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
| School | Votes |
| 1. WVU Tech (10) | 138 |
| 2. IU Kokomo (3) | 128 |
| 3. Point Park (Pa.) | 123 |
| 4. Rio Grande (Ohio) | 103 |
| 5. Midway (Ky.) | 91 |
| 6. Alice Lloyd (Ky.) | 85 |
| 7. IU East | 80 |
| 8. Ohio Christian | 77 |
| 9. Brescia (Ky.) | 57 |
| 10. St. Mary of the Woods (Ind.) | 43 |
| 11. Ohio Valley (W.Va.) | 32 |
| 12. Oakland City (Ind.) | 31 |
| 13. Carlow (Pa.) | 26 |