BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University cross country teams have each been predicted to place 3rd in their respective Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Polls, released Thursday by the conference office.

The WWU men tied for 3rd in the poll with Simon Fraser at 92 points apiece, behind defending champion Western Oregon (102 points) and Alaska Anchorage (94 points). The WWU women totaled 87 points in the poll behind three-time defending champion Alaska Anchorage (108 points) and Simon Fraser (102 points).

In the men’s poll, the Vikings were one of four teams to receive a first-place vote. Western Oregon claimed seven of the first-place votes, Alaska Anchorage picked up two votes and Simon Fraser and WWU each garnered a vote. Just 10 points separate the top four teams in the preseason poll.

On the women’s side, Alaska Anchorage picked up nine first-place votes with the other two top votes going to Simon Fraser.

The Vikings are led by 32nd-year head coach Pee Wee Halsell and will open the season Sept. 15 with the Central Washington University Invitational at Rotary Park in Ellensburg, Wash.

The WWU men welcome back three of five scoring runners and five of the team’s top seven finishers overall from last year’s conference championships, along with senior Isaac Derline (Kent, WA/Kentridge) who is back after redshirting the 2017 season. The Vikings finished 4th at the GNAC Championships and went on to place 8th at the NCAA II West Regional last year.

Senior Jadon Olson (Mill Creek, WA/Jackson) was one of two Vikings to earn All-GNAC honors at the conference meet last season with a 6th-place finish (25:29.10). Departed 2017 senior Andrew Wise also earned All-GNAC accolades by placing 10th in a time 25:41.50.

Sophomore Eric Hamel (Enumclaw, WA) was 20th (26:09.59) and senior Dylan Hayes (Seattle, WA/Garfield) placed 21st (26:11.20) at the GNAC Championships last year as scoring placers while senior junior James Jasperson (Lacey, WA/North Thurston) and junior Liam Cossette (Spokane, WA/Ferris) were both among the top 30 finishers with Jasperson 26th (26:20.28) and Cossette 27th (26:23.16).

Derline returns after placing 3rd at the 2016 GNAC Championships in a time of 25:07.80 for All-GNAC honors. He went on to place 5th at the NCAA II West Regional (30:08.10) before advancing to the national championships as an individual two years ago.

The WWU women return two of the five scoring placers at the conference meet last season and five runners who placed among the top 30 at the GNAC Championships in 2017. WWU was 3rd at the conference meet last season and placed 8th at the NCAA II West Regional.

Junior Tracy Melville (Lamont, WA/Lind-Ritzville/Sprague) returns as the top WWU finisher at the GNAC Championships last year after placing 13th (22:23.83). A trio of top-20 conference meet placers have departed in 2017 seniors Alexandra Laiblin, Lillianna Stelling and Maddy Hutchison but four additional WWU runners who all finished among the top 30 at the conference meet return.

Sophomore Jane Barr (Seattle, WA/Roosevelt), junior Peyton Shinnick (Maple Valley, WA/Tahoma), junior Sophia Galvez (Los Alamos, NM) and senior Aundrea Koger (Osage City, KS) help provide returning experience for the Vikings. Barr was 23rd (22:58.47) at the GNAC Championships last year with Shinnick finishing 25th (23:01.39), Galvez 28th (23:08.84) and Koger 30th (23:18.10).

After opening the season at the CWU Invitational, the Vikings have four meets on the schedule prior to the GNAC Championships. WWU will be at the Saint Martin’s Open (Sept. 22), the Emerald City Open (Oct. 6), Division II Conference Crossover (Oct. 6) and hosts the 45th Annual WWU Classic in Bellingham on Oct. 20 at Sudden Valley Golf Course.

Following three consecutive years of WWU hosting the GNAC Championships at Lake Padden Park in Bellingham, the conference meet moves to Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth, Ore. for 2018 with Western Oregon University serving as host. The NCAA II West Regional will be held Nov. 17 at Amend Park in Billings, Mont. with MSU Billings hosting the regional.