REGIONAL POLL: Bruin Men Rated No. 9 in USTFCCCA West Region Pre-Season Poll

NEWBERG, Ore. – Bolstered by an experienced roster of 10 returning letter winners, the George Fox University men’s cross country team has been picked ninth in the NCAA Division III West Region 2011 pre-season rankings by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. 

The Bruins, who finished 12th in last year’s West Regional race at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem, Ore., will be led this season by their top three finishers in the regional: sophomores Joseph Pia (45th) and Kyle Dreibelbis (49th) and senior Allen Cassel (52nd).  The most significant loss for head track and field and cross country coach John Smith and assistant Jeff Larson, who handles most of the cross country duties, was Dylan Arana, who was the Bruins’ second-place runner in the Northwest Conference Championship to Pia but was unable to run in the regional.

George Fox was the fourth-ranked NWC team in the West, behind No. 1 Willamette University, No. 2 Whitworth University, and No. 7 Linfield College.  The national pre-season poll will be released on Aug. 24.

The season begins for both the George Fox men’s and women’s teams with the Lewis & Clark College Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 10, at McIver State Park near Estacada, Ore.  The first race is set to begin at 10:00 a.m.

For the complete NCAA D-III pre-season cross country regional polls for both men and women, visit the USTFCCCA web site at http://www.ustfccca.org/2011/08/featured/regional-preseason-cross-country-rankings-released-in-division-iii.