Western Washington Vikings ranked sixth, seventh in USTFCCCA preseason polls...

NEW ORLEANS--The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Wednesday preseason national cross country rankings for NCAA Division II. Adams State was selected as the leading team on both men’s and women’s sides and both squads are the defending national champions.

Western Washington University, which finished fourth in last year's NCAA Division II championship meet, is ranked number six in the men's pre-season poll.

On the women's side, Western Washington, led by Sarah Porter (left/photo by Randy Miyazaki, trackandfieldphoto.com), is ranked number seven in the pre-season poll. The Vikings finished eighth last year.

Seattle Pacific's women's squad is ranked number 14 in the pre-season poll. The Falcons finished fourth in last year's meet, but lose two key runners to graduation in Jessica Pixler and Jane Larson.

The USTFCCCA Division II pre-season poll can be accessed here.

The next poll will be released September 21st.

Western opens its season on September 4th as it hosts the Lake Padden Relays, while Seattle Pacific opens on September 2nd with a dual against Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks. The Falcons are tentatively scheduled to send a squad to the Lake Padden Relays as well.

SEATTLE UNIVERSITY PICKED TO FINISH SECOND, FOURTH IN GREAT WEST CROSS COUNTRY PRE-SEASON POLL

The Seattle University men's cross country team was picked to finish second and the women picked fourth in the 2010 Great West Conference pre-season coaches polls, the conference announced Wednesday.

Coaches selected Utah Valley as the favorite to win both the men's and women's titles. UVU will defend their titles from 2009, when they lived up to preseason expectations by finishing first at the championship meet in New York.

In 2009, Seattle U's men's team placed second at the Great West Conference Championships, and the women fourth, exceeding the preseason expectations.

The cross country teams will kick off their 2010 season at the University of North Dakota's Ron Pynn Classic on September 4.

Seattle University is in its second season as an NCAA Division I school.

NOTE: The USTFCCCA, and the sports information offices of Western Washington, Seattle Pacific, and Seattle University contributed to this report.