Cross country preseason conference and national ratings announced

Both Concordia University cross country squads are listed at the top of the GPAC preseason ratings which were released earlier this week.  Both squads are also ranked in the 2011 NAIA Preseason Top 25 Coaches’ Poll. 

On the women’s side, Concordia is first in the GPAC ratings followed by Morningside College and Dordt College.  The Bulldogs are ranked 11th in the NAIA Top 25 Poll.  Morningside (15th) and Dordt (24th) join Concordia in the NAIA Top 25, while Northwestern College is receiving votes in the preseason poll. 

The Bulldog men are also first in the GPAC ratings with Morningside College and Dordt College second and third, respectively.  Concordia finished 8th in the final NAIA Top 25 Poll in 2010.  The Bulldogs are tied for 16th (Oklahoma Baptist) in the first installment of the 2011 NAIA Top 25.  Morningside is 25th in the preseason poll, while Dordt and Doane College are receiving votes.  

The Concordia men have now appeared in the NAIA Top 25 for 96 straight weeks dating back to September 14, 2001.  Aquinas (Mich.), who is 12th in the preseason poll, is the only school ahead of Concordia with 106 straight weeks in the NAIA Top 25.   

Concordia opens the season at the Nike Heartland Invite in Sioux Falls on September 10.