Bradley University Athletics

Cross Country Selected as Pre-Championship Favorites

Cross Country 10/23/2018 10:30:00 AM

The Bradley cross country teams are the favorites to repeat as Missouri Valley Conference champions as both the men's and women's teams were selected to win the title on their home turf at Newman Golf Course in the pre-championship coaches poll, released on Tuesday.

2018 Missouri Valley Conference Championship Coaches Polls
Men's Rankings			Women's Rankings
1.	Bradley (8)	80	1.	Bradley (10)	100
2.	Illinois State	71	2.	Loyola	86
3.	Indiana State	57	3.	Indiana State	76
4.	Drake	54	4.	Northern Iowa	68
5.	Loyola (1)	38	5.	Illinois State	64
	Northern Iowa	38	6.	Missouri State	56
7.	Southern Illinois	29	7.	Southern Illinois	40
	Valparaiso	29	8.	Drake	30
9.	Evansville	9	9.	Valparaiso	17
			10.	Evansville	13

The men's team earned eight of nine first-place votes and 80 points totals as the team aims for its fourth-straight Valley crown. Bradley has won four of five meets in 2018 and is looking to become the first conference team to win four-consecutive titles since Southern Illinois from 1980 to 1983. The Braves currently place fourth in the latest USTFCCCA Midwest Region poll, matching the program's highest ranking in school history.

Illinois State, the ninth-ranked team in the Midwest, is picked second in the poll with 71 points, while Indiana State (57), Drake (54), Loyola (38) and Northern Iowa (38) round out the top five.

The Braves were selected to sweep the championships for the second-straight year and third time in the last four years as the women were a unanimous selection to finish first in the poll. Bradley has claimed the Valley women's crown in 2014, 2015 and 2017 and recorded the second-best score in championship history last year after placing five in the top eight at the title meet.

Bradley is currently 10th in the USTFCCCA Midwest Region, while Loyola (No. 14 in Midwest) and Indiana State (No. 13 in Great Lakes) are also ranked regionally. The Braves topped the poll with 100 points, while Loyola (86), Indiana State (76), Northern Iowa (68) and Illinois State (64) rounded out the top five.

Valley Favorites! Braves selected to sweep @MVCsports Cross Country Championship for second-straight year in pre-championship poll!!

📰⏩ https://t.co/pmM4BB8fSa pic.twitter.com/jhPSMcBROe
— BradleyXC-Track (@BradleyXCTrack) October 23, 2018

The Missouri Valley Conference Championship is up for grabs this Saturday at Peoria's Newman Golf Course. The women's 5K race is slated to begin at 10:35 a.m. with the men's 8K following at 11:35 a.m. Both races can be seen live on ESPN3.

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