The men’s and women’s cross country teams top the charts in the NAIA preseason top 25 poll.
The men’s cross country team is No. 1, and the women’s team is ranked seventh.
The poll was voted on by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. It is the first time since 2015 that the men’s cross country team has been ranked No. 1.
“It shows that we’ve earned some respect,” said Matt Aguero, head coach of track and field and cross country.
Aguero has coached 19 individual national champions, 86 all-Americans and 165 national meet qualifiers. He joined OCU’s program two years ago.
“We’re training hard,” said Junior Max McNeill, NAIA track and field all-American. “We meet six days a week for practice, so I’m running about 90 miles a week.”
OCU has many returning members from the previous season. Along with McNeill, Senior Mark Shaw, Juniors Isaac Roldan and Oscar Kipkoros, Sophomore Kyle McKinley, and Graduate Oaklin Davis have returned this year to compete for the national title.
On the women’s team, Juniors Sheridan Hoyer and Alexas Vargas, and Seniors Tyler Berge, Lydia Mato, Anna Palacios, and Kassidy Williams have returned after placing third as a team last year at the NAIA Women’s Cross Country National Championship.
“We lost some key players, but I think we are still going to be a strong team,” Berge said. “We just aim to make each race better than the last.”
Berge has been to the NAIA Nationals three times. As a senior, this year will be her last time to compete.
“The team feels like a family. Running together is almost like therapy,” Berge said. “I’ve run with these girls for almost three years, and it’s crazy how much time has passed.”
The national championship will be Nov. 16 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“We strive to get on the podium, so that’s top four, and both the men and women were third last year,” Aguero said. “I think we have a good shot on both sides to do that this year.”
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