PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots men's and women's cross country teams were ranked No.22 and No.23 in the 2017 preseason FloTrack rankings, respectively.
 
"I am confident that we are better than No. 22 nationally," said men's head coach Rob Conner. "However, earning a ranking is always better than being given a ranking. The team had a great summer and should come out of the gates strong."
 
Senior Jeff Thies and junior Nick Hauger, who were two of Portland's top runners last fall, will return this season for the Pilots. Hauger and Thies both posted impressive times and performances at the West Regionals last fall with a sixth and fifteenth place finish to help the Pilots place second overall, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. Hauger and Thies also finished third and eighth, respectively at the West Coast Conference Championships in a tight race with BYU to earn All-WCC First team honors. In the outdoor track season, Thies earned first team All-American honors with his seventh place finish in the 1500m final at the NCAA Championships.
 
Junior Noah Schutte will also return this fall for the Pilots, after an exceptional outdoor season in track. Schutte earned second team All-American in the 3000m Steeplechase finals at Nationals. In the fall cross country season, Schutte ran at Roy Griak for the Pilots in the fall, placing 50^th to help Portland start the 2016 season with a big first place finish.
 
"We have a very deep and talented team," continued Conner. "When you add on the superior dedication and focus that our guys have in the summer, it is a combination for success.  Our goals for the year are the highest possible.  I am very confident that the team will achieve great things this fall."
 
The women, though losing a strong group of talented seniors, will also return two top runners from the 2016 season. Senior Lauren LaRocco and Taryn Rawlings will return to the Bluff, both with impressive accolades from previous seasons. LaRocco, who previously earned All-American honors in the 5000m and 10,000m finals at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, claimed her third All-American honors at the Pilots' first ever appearance at Cross Country Nationals last fall, with a 29^th place finish. She finished first at the WCC championships to help the pilots earn the overall team title, and also placed fourth overall at the West Regional. Junior Taryn Rawlings, comes off a strong track and field season, while also having performed well in the 2016 cross country season. Rawlings set a new school record in the indoor 1500m at the MPSF Championships and advanced to the semi-final round of the 2017 Outdoor Track and Field championships in the 1500m.
 
The Pilots will add U20 European standout, Jasmijn Lau, to the mix this season, as she recently won the 5000m at the European Championships. Lau also placed fourth at the European Cross Country Championships last fall.  
 
"It's great to be ranked in the preseason, especially after losing our core group of seniors last year, but we know there is a lot of work to do," said women's head coach Ian Solof. "We are really focused on the second half of the season and being ready for the tough meets later on. I'm excited about this group and looking forward to seeing who steps up and develops in our program."