Bradley University Athletics

Cross Country Teams Picked to Defend MVC Titles

Duane Zehr, Bradley University ITPS

Senior Patrick Campbell

Men's Cross Country 10/25/2016 11:40:00 AM

The Bradley cross country teams are the favorites to defend their Missouri Valley Conference Championships on Saturday with both the men's and women's squads picked first in the pre-championship coaches poll, released on Tuesday.

The men's team is the unanimous choice to finish first in Saturday's title meet, earning all nine first place-votes and leading the poll with 81 points overall. After claiming the program's first conference crown last season, the Braves are enjoying their most successful season to date in 2016. Bradley is receiving votes in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national poll for the first time in program history and has twice defeated multiple nationally-ranked schools at a meet this year – highlighted by an eighth-place finish at the Pre-Nationals on Oct. 15.

Junior Michael Ward has led the team in each of his three meets this season, including a 16th-place finish at Pre-Nationals. Last season, Ward paced Bradley to the title with a fourth-place individual finish – the highest by a Brave since Rich Kruiswyk also placed fourth in 1983.

Wichita State was slated to finish second with 70 points in the poll, while Illinois State (58), Indiana State (55) and Loyola (42) round out the top five.

On the women's side, Bradley received 5-of-10 first-place votes and led the poll with 93 points overall. The Braves have won the last two Missouri Valley Conference titles and are aiming to become the fourth team to win three-straight crowns – joining Illinois State (1982-84), Missouri State (2001-04) and Wichita State (2005-10). The women enter the championship meet ranked a season-best 10th in the latest USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Poll.

Junior Hannah Witczak has recorded the fastest time for the Braves in each meet she ran this season with Bradley winning two of the three team titles when she competed.

Northern Iowa and Wichita State are tied for second in the pre-championship poll with 88 points. The Panthers received four first-place votes, while the Shockers collected the final No. 1 position. Indiana State (65 points) and Loyola (59) complete the top five in the poll.

The Missouri Valley Conference Championship is up for grabs this Saturday in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The women's race is slated to begin at 10:30 a.m. with the men's race starting at 11 a.m.

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Players Mentioned

Michael Ward: Junior

Hannah Witczak: Junior

Players Mentioned

Michael Ward
: Junior

Hannah Witczak
: Junior