Cross country preview: PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY

paulmerca.blogspot.com's cross country series previewing this state's top college and university cross country teams continues, as we head south to Tacoma.

Today's cross country preview features the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes, coached by Heather Kreier.

NCAA Division III Pacific Lutheran returns four of the top five runners from last year’s women’s team, which finished 12th in last year’s regional championship meet after a fifth-place finish in the Northwest Conference title event.

Among the top returnees to the 2008 squad are senior Lexie Miller, junior Katie Choate and sophomores Corrine Gogert and Mary Wuest. Gogert was PLU’s top finisher in six of eight meets in 2007, while Choate led the Lutes in the other two meets.

The Lutes are ranked #10 in the USTFCCCA pre-season poll.

On the men's side, the team appears to rely on a small group of freshmen and sophomores.

Last Saturday, the Pacific Lutheran men placed seventh and the Lutes women were eighth in the 10-team Lewis & Clark Invitational cross country meet in Estacada, Oregon.

This weekend, the Lutes will compete at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

NOTE: The sports information office at Pacific Lutheran University contributed to this report.

paulmerca.blogspot.com concludes its series on Washington's collegiate cross country teams Thursday with the best of the rest of Washington's schools.