SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The Portland Pilots men's cross country team was picked to finish second at the 2018 WCC Championship in the annual preseason coaches' poll, while three Pilots landed on the all-league preseason team.
West Coast Conference coaches selected last year's NCAA Mountain Regional runner-up and NCAA Nationals third-place finisher BYU to take home its fourth consecutive WCC crown and sixth in seven years. Portland picked up the remaining two first-place tallies to come in second with 58 votes. The Pilots captured last year's NCAA West Regional in Sacramento before turning in a runner-up finish at NCAA Nationals, just their second NCAA podium appearance in program history.
San Francisco, who earned 47 points for third, edged out fourth-place Gonzaga, who snared 46. Santa Clara earned 34 votes to round out the top five. Loyola Marymount grabbed sixth place with 29 votes, inching ahead of seventh-place Saint Mary's (24). Pepperdine and San Diego finished off the poll with 15 and eight points, respectively.
Four of this year's 10 Preseason All-WCC honorees earned USTFCCCA All-American honors last season, two each from podium finishers Portland and BYU. Portland's top-15 Nationals finisher and junior All-American Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse along with fellow XC senior All-American Nick Hauger were both named to the preseason team. Redshirt sophomore Reuben Kiprono who placed 11th at last year's WCC Championship also received preseason honors.
The 2018 WCC Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships will take place October 27 at East Bay Golf Course in Provo, Utah.
2018 WCC Men's Cross Country Poll
No., Team, Votes (First Place)
1., BYU, 63 (7)
2., Portland, 58 (2)
3., San Francisco, 47
4., Gonzaga, 46
5., Santa Clara, 34
6., Loyola Marymount, 29
7., Saint Mary's, 24
8., Pepperdine, 15
9., San Diego, 8
2018 All-WCC Men's Cross Country Preseason Team
Name, School, Year
Daniel Carney, BYU, Sr.
Nick Hauger*, Portland, Sr.
Nick Heath, Pepperdine, Sr.
Reuben Kiprono, Portland, So.
Rory Linkletter*, BYU, Sr.
Connor McMillan*, BYU, Sr.
Kramer Morton, BYU, So.
Jack Rowe, San Francisco, Sr.
Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse*, Portland, Jr.
Clayton Young, BYU, Sr.
*2017 USTFCCCA All-Americans
