September 26, 2003 Athletics
Story
Aggie Cross Country
Teams Picked High In Preseason Polls
Men expected to
finish second, women third according to league coaches
 Utah
State's men's cross country team, which won the Big West Conference
Championship a year ago, has been picked to finish second this
year, while the Aggie women were voted third, it was announced
by the league office Sept. 24.
The league's cross country poll is voted on by the league coaches.
The Aggie men received one first place vote and had 71 total
points. Cal Poly received the other eight first-place votes
and had 79 points in the poll. UC Santa Barbara was third at
66 points.
Gregg Gensel's men's team won three straight league titles
from 1992-94 and then posted runner-up finishes in six of the
next seven years before regaining the title last fall.
In two meets this year, the Aggies have finished second at
Idaho State and fourth at the BYU Autumn Classic. Mike Nielson,
the Big West runner-up a year ago, set a course record while
winning the ISU meet, but did not run at BYU due to an injury.
On the women's side, Idaho, with eight first-place votes, was
picked as the league favorite with 98 points and UC Santa Barbara
earned two first place votes and 92 points. Utah State and UC
Irvine were tied for third with 70 points apiece with Cal Poly
fifth at 60 points.
Freshman Ashley Johnson has led the women in both meets placing
second at ISU and eighth at BYU.
Both the men's and women's teams will resume competition this
week when they travel to the University of Minnesota's Griak
Invitational Sept. 27.
Big West Men's Coaches Poll
1. Cal Poly 79 (8 first place votes)
2. UTAH STATE 71 (1)
3. UC Santa Barbara 66
4. Cal State Fullerton 44
5. Idaho 42
6. Uc Irvine 37
7. Long Beach State 31
8. Cal State Northridge 20
9. UC Riverside 15
Big West Women's Coaches Poll
1. Idaho 98 (8 first place votes)
2. UC Santa Barbara 92
3. UTAH STATE 70
4. UC Irvine 70
5. Cal Poly 60
6. Cal State Northridge 56
7. Cal State Fullerton 35
8. Long Beach State 35
9. UC Riverside 23
10. Pacific 11
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