PORTLAND, Ore. – Led by sophomores
Andrew Oslin, and
Alyssa Robinson, a young Saint Martin's men's and women's cross country enter the season looking to shock the GNAC despite 11th place finishes in the GNAC's Preseason Coaches' Poll on Thursday.
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Oslin, who led the Saints at the GNAC Championships last year with a 56th place finish and a time of 26:45.6 minutes headlines the men's side. He also competed in the NCAA West Regional, taking home 109th overall. Juniors
Miguel De LaMelena and
Joe Edgecomb will add a veteran presence to the team. De LaMelena took home 72nd at the GNAC Championships before placing 151st in the NCAA Regional meet. Edgecomb, who did not compete in 2018, returns to action after finishing 86th at GNAC Championships in 2017.
Noah Roberts,
Braden Stowers, and
Joe Phinazee all competed in the 2018 GNAC Championships and add more depth and experience to the Saints' roster. Building around the returning core will be nine new athletes, including two transfers and seven freshman.
On the women's side, 2019 will be a fresh look for the Saints. Only top runner Robinson, who placed 79th at GNAC Championships and 161st at the NCAA Regionals returns to the team. Robinson will be joined by eight new runners, all of which are freshman.
Leading the polls on the men's side was Alaska Anchorage at 101 votes, followed closely by Simon Fraser at 99 and Western Washington at 98. Western Oregon (71), Central Washington (70), Seattle Pacific (61), and Northwest Nazarene (58) make up the middle of the pack. Montana State Billings (34), Alaska (29), Concordia (23), and Saint Martin's (14) round out the polling.
Over on the women's side of polling, Seattle Pacific led the way at 101 votes, with Alaska Anchorage (99) and Simon Fraser (96) coming in at second and third. Western Washington (83), Central Washington (70), Northwest Nazarene (57), and Western Oregon (52) fall in at fourth through seventh. Montana State Billings (35), Alaska (32), Concordia (20), and the Saints (15) make up the final four spots.
