Washington Huskies start 2009 ranked #1 in USTFCCCA women's cross country poll...

NEW ORLEANS – As Greg Metcalf's defending nationals champions well know, it's not how you start, but how you finish.

The Washington Huskies are perched at the top of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Women’s Cross Country Top 30 Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the USTFCCCA announced Tuesday. The Huskies received all 12 first-place votes and earned 360 total points in the preseason poll.

Washington, last year’s NCAA Division I Cross Country National Champions, return five of their top seven runners from last year’s championship team, four of which were USTFCCCA Cross Country All-Americans, including sophomore Christine Babcock (left/photo by Paul Merca). The Huskies open their 2009 season at home Saturday with the Sundodger Invitational at Lincoln Park in West Seattle.

Oregon comes in at No. 2 in the women’s preseason poll having earned 344 total points. The Ducks, last year’s runner-up at the NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships, return two USTFCCCA All-Americans in Nicole Blood and Alex Kosinski.

Pac 10 Conference members Stanford (6th), and Arizona State (11th) are also ranked in the national top 30.

Oregon, last year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country National Champions, begins the 2009 season as the No. 1 team in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Men’s Cross Country Top 30 Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the USTFCCCA announced Tuesday. The Ducks received nine first-place votes and earned 357 total points in the preseason poll.

Pac-10 rival Stanford is ranked #3, with West Coast Conference powerhouse Portland ranked 8th. Cal Poly-SLO is #24 out of the Big West Conference. Washington is ranked 24th, while Arizona State is ranked 29th.

To view the complete rankings, please click here to see the men, and here to see the women.

NOTE: The USTFCCCA contributed to this report.