Courtesy of the Missouri Valley Conference
Aug. 29, 2007
www.siusalukis.com

The Southern Illinois men and Wichita State women have been tabbed as the 2007 favorites by a vote of Missouri Valley Conference cross country coaches in their annual preseason poll.

The Saluki men are looking to return to their 2004 form when they tied for the conference championship, while the Shockers are looking to become the third team in women's history to three-peat as conference champions.

2006 MVC champion Mohamed Mohamed returns for his junior season to anchor a Southern Illinois squad that will hit the course with its top-four runners from a season ago - and six of their top-seven.

"On the mens' side it's flattering to be picked by our peer coaches as pre-season conference champions, but there is still a lot of work to be done," said head coach Matt Sparks. "The men know that and probably won't even give the poll a look to even know where they are."

Kevin Doran and Jeff Schirmer each earned top-15 finishes at last season's conference championship and Jason Ordway added SIU's fourth-placer in the top-20.

The veteran Saluki squad received six of nine first-place votes and 77 points.

2006 conference champions Indiana State check in at No. 2 in the preseason men's poll with 68 points and a pair of first-place votes. The Sycamores have claimed the past three men's titles, but will have to replace a core group of runners to push for a fourth-consecutive.

2006 NCAA qualifier Justin Kunz, Sean Bowman and Scott Reed are gone, creating voids in three of the top-15 placements at the MVC championship.

Despite the loss of two all-conference runners, the cupboard is not bare at Indiana State.

Drake picked up the other first-place vote and sits at No. 3 in the preseason poll with 57 points, leading a three-team cluster separated by just four points.

The Bulldogs lose their top-two runners in Nick Cooper and Skyler Nesheim, but return their next four, three of whom (Jeffry Grassmeyer, Barry Hill and Dylan McClain) earned top-20 finishes in the 2006 MVC championship with the fourth placing 26th.

Just two points behind Drake was Wichita State with 55.

The Shockers Girts Azis will look to add a third all-conference performance to his résumé as the top WSU runner in his senior season. His support will come from juniors Scott Reed, the 14th-place finisher in 2006, and Nick Nowak, 24th a season ago.

Illinois State's 53 points in the coaches' poll were good for the fifth position in the preseason.

A young crop of Redbird runners returns with junior Mike Richardson leading the pack. The top-four returnees will hit the trails this fall for Illinois State as they look to move up from last year's eighth-place conference showing.

UNI is picked sixth with 39 points behind 2006 MVC runner-up Dorian Ulrey while Bradley's Chris George will lead the way for the Braves - picked seventh with 29 points.

Creighton (15 points) and Evansville (12) round out the coaches' poll.

The Wichita State women will look to extend their streak of women's cross country championships to three in the 2007 season. The early nod from the coaches stems from the return of six runners that placed in the top-40 at the MVC Championship a season ago.

Gone is all-conference runner Sarah Becker, but returning are the three other all-MVC performers in Chelsie Baldwin, Mica Land and Kimber Lemon.

Just two schools, Illinois State from 1982-84 and Missouri State from 2001-04, have captured three-consecutive conference titles.

The Shockers picked up nine first-place votes and 99 of a possible 100 points in the preseason poll.

Missouri State was a solid second choice in the coaches' poll, earning 90 total points and grabbing the only first-place tally not garnered by WSU. The Bears put five runners in the first 25 finishers in 2006 and welcome four of those athletes back for another go this time around.

Kristin Wolkey was the conference's fifth-place finisher a season ago while Jamie Vest finished just two places outside of all-conference honors. Both runners return to lead MSU.

UNI is the third pick in the poll with 80 points.

The Panthers bring back two all-conference performers in Traci Hawley and Caedryn Schrunk. Schrunk, last season's eighth-place finisher, is a two-time all-MVC runner.

Illinois State checks in at No. 4 with 62 points.

Six of the top seven runners return for the Redbirds, including 2006 MVC top finisher Kathleen Thompson, who finished 21st overall at the championship.

Just behind Illinois State in the poll is Southern Illinois with 58 points. Last season's runner-up will rely on youth to fill the voids created with the graduation of three top-20 MVC finishers. Brittani Christensen-Farn returns for her final season as the top runner for the Salukis.

"On the womens' side I think a lot of the ranking is based on the success that we've had over the last four years, being ranked second and third," said Sparks. "We lost six of our top eight, but we have a talented crew so I think a lot of that is respect for the tradition of the program. We still feel like fifth is something that we can improve upon throughout the year going into the championship."

Bradley is the coaches' selection for sixth-place in the preseason with 52 points.

The Braves return six of seven competitors from last season's conference entry, but lose top finisher Sarah Westrick to graduation. Sophomore Rachel Brubaker is the Braves' top runner entering the season.

Indiana State and Drake follow in the poll with 44 and 33 points, respectively.

The Sycamores will also be looking to fill voids left by top runners as they enter the campaign without last season's top two runners. Indiana State will run with a pack of Kayla Alexander, Emily Pugh and Julia Costello.

Drake will be young in 2007 with their top three finishers at the 2006 championship, including titlist Ashley Anklam, from last season's squad. Nine freshmen and sophomores dot the Bulldog lineup for 2007.

Creighton senior Megan Foste - 18th a season ago - returns for the Bluejays, selected ninth with 20 points while Evansville (12 points) rounds out the poll.