2021 USTFCCCA Preseason Poll
Butler's men have been pegged ninth in the NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country National Coaches' Preseason Poll, which was released on Tuesday afternoon by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. That is a program-best in terms of preseason rankings.
The Bulldogs are coming off a spring 2021 campaign that culminated with a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Coach Matt Roe returns five of the seven runners who competed in that race, headlined by spring All-American Simon Bedard who finished 37th at the NCAA Championships and Barry Keane who was 43rd overall.
Butler's line-up will also include Clark Otte, Pierre-Louis Detroube and Jack McMahon along with several Bulldogs who will make the leap into the top group.
On Monday, Butler's men were ranked second in the Great Lakes Region, which is the highest preseason regional ranking in program history. Notre Dame was selected first in the Great Lakes Region; the Fighting Irish are second in the national poll.
Defending champion Northern Arizona is a near-unanimous No. 1 in the first edition of the National Coaches' Poll, earning 10 of 11 first-place votes. The Lumberjacks lead second-ranked Notre Dame (1 FPV), third-ranked BYU, fourth ranked Oregon and fifth-ranked Stanford.
Butler's women enter the 2021 season picked seventh in the Great Lakes Region. Michigan State, Michigan and Indiana hold the top three regional spots. All 10 Bulldogs who ran at the BIG EAST Championships in the spring return for the fall campaign.
Butler opens the fall season Friday, hosting the Butler Twilight at Northview Christian Church in Carmel. The BIG EAST Championships will also be run on the Northview course Oct. 29.
The 2021 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, held at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida, will be contested Nov. 20. This will be the first time in history that the meet will be contested in Florida.
