SAN MATEO, Calif.--- The 16-ranked Portland Pilots men's cross country team has been picked to finish second in the 2021 WCC Men's Cross Country Coaches Poll, the conference announced on Wednesday. The Pilots were placed to finish only behind current No. 3 BYU.
 
The preseason poll and the All-WCC team were selected solely by a vote of the conference's nine head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own teams and student-athletes.
 
BYU was the unanimous choice to win the program's ninth West Coast Conference Men's Cross Country Championship and seventh consecutive in the annual preseason poll. The Cougars earned a perfect preseason score with 64 points, including the maximum eight first-place votes, and placed four on the preseason All-WCC squad.
 
Portland was picked second with 54 points, narrowly edging Gonzaga in third place with 53 points. The Pilots are coming off of a third place finish at the 2020-21 WCC Championship and advanced to their 21st NCAA Nationals appearance last spring, where they claimed 21st place overall.
 
Santa Clara (43), and San Francisco (32) round out the top five while Pepperdine (24) Saint Mary's (22), LMU (21), San Diego (13) fill out spots 6-9.
 
Three Pilots were named to the 2021 All-WCC Preseason Men's Cross Country Team, including Jacob Klemz, Zak Kirk, and Evert Silva. This marks the second year in a row that Silva has received the honor, and the Pilot earned All-WCC First Team recognition with his sixth-place finish at last year's conference meet. Klemz and Kirk each collected All-WCC Second Team honors.
 
The 2021 WCC Championships are scheduled for October 29, in Concord, Calif. Portland opens the cross country season later tonight, September 1 at the Lewis & Clark Chase Race, starting at 6:45 p.m.
 
2021 WCC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
Team (First Place)      Score
1. BYU (8)                      64
2. Portland                     54
3. Gonzaga (1)              53
4. Santa Clara               43
5. San Francisco           36
6. Pepperdine               24
7. Saint Mary's              22
8. LMU                          21
9. San Diego                 7
 
2021 Men's Cross Country Preseason All-WCC Team
Name                          Institution
Casey Clinger              BYU
Brandon Garnica         BYU
Yacine Guermali          Gonzaga
Jacob Klemz                Portland
Zak Kirk                       Portland
Conner Mantz              BYU
James Mwaura            Gonzaga
Evert Silva                   Portland
Will Smith                    Gonzaga
Aidan Troutner             BYU