WAYNE STATE PICKED 11TH IN NSIC MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Wayne, Neb. — Wayne State College was listed 11th in the 2024 NSIC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll released Thursday morning by the league office in Burnsville, Minnesota. Junior Quentin Dreyer was listed as Wayne State’s Athlete to Watch in the NSIC this season.
Wayne State received 34 points in voting by league coaches after placing 11th at last year’s NSIC Championships.
Four-time NSIC champion Augustana was picked to win the 2024 NSIC title this season, receiving 143 points and 11 first-place votes (coaches can not vote for own team). MSU Moorhead was second at 128 points and one first place vote while Minnesota Duluth comes in at third with 116 points and one first place vote as well. Minnesota State (108) and Sioux Falls (106) round out the top five teams in the conference.
Dreyer, a junior from Manning, Iowa, was the #2 runner for the Wildcats in all six meets last season. Dreyer ran his season’s best time (25:57.7) last year at the conference championships and had a season best fourth place finish at the Wildcat Classic.
Wayne State will start their 2024 season at the Augustana Twilight Invite on Sept.6th in Sioux Falls, S.D.
2024 Preseason NSIC Men’s Cross Country Coaches’ Poll
- Augustana (11) 143 pts.
- MSU Moorhead (1) 128 pts.
- Minnesota Duluth (1) 116 pts.
- Minnesota State 108 pts.
- Sioux Falls 106 pts.
- University of Mary 86 pts.
- Northern State 82 pts.
- Concordia-St. Paul 74 pts.
- Minot State 51 pts.
- Winona State 49 pts.
- Wayne State 34 pts.
- Minnesota Crookston 23 pts.
- Southwest Minnesota State 14 pts.
WILDCATS PICKED NINTH IN NSIC WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL
WAYNE, NEB. — The Wayne State College women’s cross country team was picked to finish ninth in the 2024 NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll announced Thursday morning by the league office in Burnsville, Minnesota. The Wildcats collected 89 points in voting conducted by league coaches and sophomore Callie Kirchner was listed as Wayne State’s Athlete to Watch this season.
Wayne State graduated five of their top six runners from last year’s team that finished ninth at the NSIC Cross Country Championships.
Augustana was a unanimous vote as the team to beat in the NSIC this year garnering 196 points and 14 first-place votes. University of Mary was second with the remaining first-place vote (coaches cannot vote for own team) and 179 points. Defending NSIC champion Winona State was third at 157 points, just ahead of Minnesota State (155) and Sioux Falls (151).
Minnesota Duluth was sixth with 140 points followed by Minot State and Northern State tied for seventh at 106 points. Wayne State was ninth with 89 points and Bemidji State 10th at 80 points. MSU Moorhead (75), Southwest Minnesota State (43), Minnesota Crookston (39), St. Cloud State (32) and Concordia-St. Paul (27) closed out the preseason coaches’ poll.
Wayne State’s Athlete to Watch this season is sophomore Callie Kirchner from Millard West High School. She is the top returner for the Wildcats this season, finishing as Wayne State’s #4 runner at three of six meets last season. Kirchner posted a season-best 10th-place finish at the Wildcat Classic last season and was Wayne State’s #4 runner at the NCAA Central Regional in Joplin, Missouri to end the season.
Wayne State is scheduled to open the 2024 season on Friday, September 6th at the Augustana Twilight Invitational in Sioux Falls.
2024 NSIC Women’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll
- Augustana (14) 196 pts.
- University of Mary (1) 179 pts.
- Winona State 157 pts.
- Minnesota State 155 pts.
- Sioux Falls 151 pts.
- Minnesota Duluth 140 pts.
- Minot State 106 pts.
- Northern State 106 pts.
- Wayne State 89 pts.
- Bemidji State 80 pts.
- MSU Moorhead 75 pts.
- Southwest Minnesota St. 43 pts.
- Minnesota Crookston 39 pts.
- St. Cloud State 32 pts.
- Concordia-St. Paul 27 pts.
