NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Oklahoma Baptist women's cross country team was ranked 21st in the country on Wednesday afternoon in the USTFCCCA National Preseason Polls. This comes one day after OBU was ranked fourth in the Central Region polls.
For Oklahoma Baptist, it is their 16th consecutive time they have been ranked in the national polls. Since joining NCAA DIvision II as a full member in 2017, OBU has been ranked in the Top 25 in every poll except two, the preseason and week 1 poll of 2017.
""The girls have earned respect over the previous years," said Head Coach
Matt Kennedy. "This preseason ranking is a reflection of that respect. Our team is talented and working hard daily to keep the high standard of excellence they and the alumni have set."
The Bison are fresh off their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships, where they finished 16th last season, four spots up from their 20th place finish in 2017 and matching a best finish by a GAC school at the National Meet. OBU has also won back-to-back Great American Conference Championships. The Bison dominated the competition as seven runners finished inside the Top 10.
OBU returns four runners who earned First Team All-GAC honors with their Top 10 finish including senior
Tesa Potter, junior
Allison Derry, sophomore
Berkley Price, and sophomore
Emma Downing, last season's GAC Freshman of the Year.
Alexzandria Jaimz also returns as a Second Team All-GACÂ honor.
Ths Bison have also claimed the last two GAC Runner of the Year awards in
Kaylee Large Crowson last season and Abby Hoover in 2017. Kennedy is also a two-time GAC Coach of the Year.
Oklahoma Baptist opens up the 2019 season at the Central Oklahoma Land Run in Edmond on Sept. 7. The Bison have claimed the team title each year since 2015.
Â
