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Cross Country:
UC Irvine Women's Team Picked 2nd in Big West Preseason Poll
Sept. 1, 2007
UC Santa Barbara was picked first in the close voting. The defending Big West champion received 71 total points and two first-place votes. UCI had 70 points and three first-place votes while UC Riverside was chosen third with 67 points. The Highlanders also received three first-place votes. Coach Vince O'Boyle's Anteaters are led by junior Laura Olvera, last year's conference runner-up who finished 83rd at the NCAA Championships. Senior Sara Mickelson was third in the Big West meet a year ago as she and Olvera were both named to the All-West Region team in 2006. Also back for UCI is senior Marie Nguyen, who finished 12th in last season's Big West meet and junior Candice Proctor, who was a redshirt last year after finishing 11th in the 2005 conference meet won by UCI. The Anteaters placed third as a team last year.
The UCI men's team has been picked to finish fourth in the Big West along with league newcomer UC Davis. Cal Poly is the unanimous choice to repeat with 64 points and all eight first-place votes. UCSB is second with 55, UC Riverside third with 40 while UCI and UC Davis each received 38 points. Senior Sky Johnston finished 30th at last year's Big West meet and O'Boyle pointed to sophomore Colin Hacker and junior Rusty Whisman as other runners to watch this fall. UCI finished third in the conference meet a year ago. Both Anteater teams open the 2007 schedule Saturday (Sept. 8) hosting the Asics/UC Irvine Invitational at Central Park in Huntington Beach, with the first race beginning at 9:00 a.m. 2007 BIG WEST CONFERENCE Women's Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Poll 1. UC Santa Barbara (2) 71 2. UC Irvine (3) 70 3. UC Riverside (3) 67 4T. Cal Poly (1) 49 UC Davis 49 6. 7. 8. 9. Pacific 10 ( ) First-place votes 2007 BIG WEST CONFERENCE Men's Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Poll 1. Cal Poly (8) 64 2. UC Santa Barbara 55 3. UC Riverside 40 4T. UC Irvine 38 UC Davis 38 6. 7. 8. ( ) First-place votes |
