SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- With the 2022 cross county season set to begin this weekend, the West Coast Conference officially announced the 2022 All-WCC Preseason poll and team for men's and women's cross country on Wednesday afternoon.
Highlighting the USF team heading into the season are juniors
Eve Jensen and
Ruby Smee who were selected to the All-WCC preseason team following their stellar 2021 seasons as they will lead the women's team that was picked fourth overall in the conference. The Dons men's team was picked to finish eighth in the conference with their season set to begin with this weekend's 29th Annual USF Invitational.
"We are honored to have Ruby and Eve selected for this year's WCC Preseason Poll," head coach
Tim Riley said. "Every year the WCC gets better and better and to be a part of this list is a tip of the hat to the strength of our program."
It was a tremendous fall 2021 for Smee as she qualified for the 2021 Cross Country National Championships where she was selected as an All-American when she was able to secure a Top 40 finish in the 6,000 meter run. Her stellar regular season included four top two finishes in her events as well as breaking the course record at the Bronco Invitational last October.
Jensen's 2021 was highlighted by a top 15 performance at last season's WCC Championships in the 6,000 meter run to go along with a selection as a First Team All-WCC Academic Team member. This mark's the second consecutive year that Jensen has been honored by the WCC coaches with an All-WCC Preseason Team selection.
Heading into their final season in the conference, both BYU's men's and women's cross country teams were picked first overall and received the most first place votes of the 10 teams in the conference. The Cougars and Gonzaga Bulldogs led the way in the conference with six student-athletes each being chosen for the All-WCC Preseason Team.
USF's cross country season has them competing all around the country this season including a trip to the Midwest for the Notre Dame Invitational at the end of September. The Dons then return to Northern California in October for the Bronco Invitational on Oct. 15 before the WCC Championships in Portland on Oct. 28.
The full 2022 WCC Men's and Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll and Teams can be viewed below:
2022 WCC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
| Place |
Team |
First Place Votes |
Points |
| 1. |
BYU |
6 |
62 |
| 2. |
Gonzaga |
2 |
54 |
| 3. |
Portland |
1 |
54 |
| 4. |
Santa Clara |
|
44 |
| 5. |
Saint Mary's |
|
35 |
| 6. |
LMU |
|
25 |
| 7. |
Pepperdine |
|
22 |
| 8. |
San Francisco |
|
17 |
| 9. |
San Diego |
|
11 |
2022 WCC Men's Cross Country Preseason Team
| Name |
Institution |
| Lucas Bons |
BYU |
| Casey Clinger |
BYU |
| Cathal Doyle |
Portland |
| Brandon Garnica |
BYU |
| Yacine Guermali |
Gonzaga |
| Zak Kirk |
Portland |
| Zach Litoff |
Santa Clara |
| Cullen McEachern |
Gonzaga |
| James Mwaura |
Gonzaga |
| Wil Smith |
Gonzaga |
2022 WCC Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
| Place |
Team |
First Place Votes |
Points |
| 1. |
BYU |
9 |
81 |
| 2. |
Gonzaga |
|
71 |
| 3. |
Portland |
1 |
63 |
| 4. |
San Francisco |
|
60 |
| 5. |
Santa Clara |
|
50 |
| 6. |
Saint Mary's |
|
39 |
| 7. |
LMU |
|
29 |
| 8. |
Pepperdine |
|
23 |
| 9. |
San Diego |
|
23 |
| 10. |
Pacific |
|
11 |
2022 WCC Women's Cross Country Preseason Team
| Name |
Institution |
| Alicia Anderson |
Gonzaga |
| Aubrey Frentheway |
BYU |
| Kristen Garcia |
Gonzaga |
| Lexy Halladay |
BYU |
| Emma Jenkins |
Portland |
| Eve Jensen |
San Francisco |
| McKenna Lee |
BYU |
| Laura Pellicoro |
Portland |
| Ruby Smee |
San Francisco |
| Rayna Stanziano |
Saint Mary's |
For more information on the USF men's and women's cross country programs, be sure to follow @donsxctf on Twitter, @donsxctf on Instagram and @donsxctf on Facebook.
