OSU Men's Cross Country Named Preseason No. 1

News9.com

STILLWATER, Oklahoma – The Oklahoma State men's cross country team has been ranked the No. 1 team in the nation by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The top ranking comes one day after it was announced that the Poles were also the No. 1 team in the Midwest Region entering the season.

Oklahoma State received 10 out of 12 first place votes in the coaches poll.

Last year, the Cowboys won their second-straight national championship and third-straight Big 12 title.

OSU returns five All-Americans in seniors German Fernandez, Colby Lowe, Girma Mecheso and Johnathan Stublaski, as well as sophomore Tom Farrell.

The team also adds sophomore transfer Shadrack Kipchirchir, who also received All-America honors last season.

The OSU women come in ranked No. 26 after one of their best seasons in recent memory. The Cowgirls turned in a fourth-place finish at the 2010 Big 12 Championships and a 17th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, their best since 2005.

Both teams begin the season Saturday, Sept. 3 at the Hurricane Festival in Tulsa. The meet is set to begin at 8 a.m. at Mohawk Park.