Men picked third, Women fifth in OAC preseason Cross Country poll

By Tim Glon

| 2015 OAC Cross Country Coaches Poll (.pdf) |

ADA —The Ohio Northern men were picked to finish third and the women fifth in the 2015 Ohio Athletic Conference Cross Country Coaches Polls.

The Polar Bear men received 66 points.

John Carroll was selected as the league favorite with 78 points and six first place votes. Mount Union was second with 74 points and four first place votes and Heidelberg was picked fourth with 54 points.

The ONU women received 52 points in the voting.

Otterbein is the preseason favorite to win the ladies' title with 81 points and nine first place votes, while Mount Union is second with 68 points and John Carroll is third with 63 points and the final first place vote.

"It is nice to be picked among the top teams in the league," ONU head coach Jason Maus said. "But our goals remain the same this year as they are every year: to win the OAC title and compete at the NCAA Championships. No one has raced yet, so the polls really mean nothing. We are just excited to get the season started."

Both Ohio Northern squads will open their 2015 seasons on Friday night at the Bluffton Invitational at the Bluffton University Nature Preserve. The women's race begins at 6 pm with the men's following at 6:45 pm.