ELMHURST, Ill. – The Omaha cross country team has been picked to finish fifth in The Summit League's preseason cross country poll released on Wednesday.
The Mavericks received 17 points in the voting of the league's seven head coaches. It is the second straight season they have been picked to finish in that position.
UNO are just behind Fort Wayne (20 points) and ahead of Oral Roberts (10) in the voting. Three-time defending champion South Dakota was picked to win The Summit League Championship with 33 points and four first-place votes. The Coyotes edged out 2016 Summit runner-up South Dakota State which earned 32 points and two-first place votes for second in the poll. North Dakota State was third with 28 points and one first-place vote. The complete poll is below.
UNO senior
Karo Garcia was named an Athlete To Watch this season. She did not compete last year due to military service but was UNO's top runner in all six meets in which she competed in 2015. The Mavericks also will feature sophomores
Willa Koenig and
Renata Valquier Chavez. As freshman, they each ran first for the Mavericks in three meets during the season and scored in all six.
Along with Garcia, the Mavericks also add freshman
Emily Johnson and sophomore transfer
Alyx Flippin. Johnson finished eighth overall in the Nebraska state meet for Elkhorn South last season while Flippin competed for Division II Central Missouri.
The Mavericks open the season at the Augustana Twilight on Friday, Sept. 1 at 8 p.m. The Summit League Championship will be held at Vermillion, S.D. on Saturday, Oct. 28.
2017 Summit League Women's Cross Country
Preseason Poll
| Rank |
School (First-place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. |
South Dakota (4) |
33 |
| 2. |
South Dakota State (2) |
32 |
| 3. |
North Dakota State (1) |
28 |
| 4. |
Fort Wayne |
20 |
| 5. |
Omaha |
17 |
| 6. |
Oral Roberts |
10 |
| 7. |
Western Illinois |
7 |
Athletes To Watch (selected by league head coaches)
Nicole Beebe, So., Western Illinois
Megan Billington, Jr., South Dakota
Emma Kusch Dahle, Jr., North Dakota State
Emily Donnay, Jr., South Dakota State
Karo Garcia, Sr., Omaha
Emma Rafuse, Jr., Fort Wayne
Jessica Romero, So., Oral Roberts
