Spartan Women Ranked No. 3 by USTFCCCA, Men No. 28
9/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
EAST LANSING, Michigan - The Michigan State women's cross country team enters the 2015 season No. 3 in the country, according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Spartan men appeared on the season's first poll, which was released on Tuesday, coming in at No. 28.
The women received two first-place votes and are ranked behind the Big 12's Iowa State and New Mexico of the Mountain West Conference. Four other Big Ten schools join MSU in the top-25 (Wisconsin- 11th, Michigan- 12th, Penn State- 23rd, Minnesota- 27th).
Four Big Ten programs cracked the USTFCCCA's top 30 on the men's side, rounded out by the Spartans at No. 28 (Wisconsin- 5th, Indiana- 11th, Michigan- 12th). The two-time defending national champion Colorado sit atop the preseason standings.
The MSU women's cross country team was tabbed the top squad in the Great Lakes Region by the USTFCCCA's Regional Preseason Poll released on Monday. The men's side was picked fourth in the region.
Junior Rachele Schulist and senior Lindsay Clark anchor a women's team that welcomes back four of its top seven from the 2014 NCAA Championship team. Schulist and Clark both look to become the program's third and fourth harriers to repeat as All-Americans. The last to accomplish the feat was Nicole Bush in 2007-08.
The Spartans placed a program-best seven runners in the top-25 of the Great Lakes Regional last season.
On the men's side, senior Caleb Rhynard and junior Sherod Hardt lead a MSU team that took second at the Great Lakes Regional a year ago. Rhynard and Hardt both earned All-Great Lakes Region plaudits in 2014.
In 2013, Rhynard became the first Spartan for the men's program to earn All-American honors since Kyle Baker in 1997. Anthony Hamm was last MSU runner to earn multiple All-American distinctions (1988-91).
The Spartans open the 2015 season at the Jeff Drenth Memorial Race on Sept. 4 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
For the latest information on Michigan State cross country, follow the Spartans @MSUtrackfieldxc on Twitter.
Players Mentioned
