Defending champion BYU was chosen to take the West Coast Conference Cross Country championship for a second year in the annual preseason poll. The Cougars were selected to capture the title this season after seizing more than half of the first place votes.
BYU collected 79 points, including seven first place votes. Not too far behind was Portland with 71 points and two first place votes. Coming in third was Loyola Marymount with 61 points.
Five programs placed at least one student-athlete on the preseason All-West Conference Team. BYU and Loyola Marymount led the way each with three preseason picks. Gonzaga and Portland each have a pair, while San Francisco is also represented.
Championship host Gonzaga and San Francisco share fourth place with 57 points. San Diego was chosen sixth with 39 points followed closely by Santa Clara (35). Rounding out the rankings are Saint Mary’s (20), Pacific (18) and Pepperdine (13).
The 2015 Preview race is set to take place on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Plantes Ferry Park in Spokane, Washington. Plantes Ferry Park will serve as the site for the 2015 WCC Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31. For a complete interactive schedule, visit the WCC website, and follow @WCCsports on Twitter for updates throughout the season.
Joe Moxon is a sports information director for BYU Athletic Communications