(Photo by Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)
PROVO, Utah -- After polling all nine men's cross country coaches in the conference, the West Coast Conference announced BYU is the pre-season favorite to win the conference championship.
The Cougars earned seven first-place votes and 63 points overall in the preseason poll. The University of Portland ranked second with two first-place votes, followed by the University of San Francisco in third and Gonzaga in fourth.
BYU also led the conference with five runners named to the Preseason All-West Coast Conference team.
Last year, the Cougars' inaugural season in the WCC, the team won their first WCC cross country championship.
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2012 WEST COAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
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|
TEAM (First Place Votes) |
POINTS |
|
1. BYU (7)
|
63
|
|
2. Portland (2)
|
58
|
|
3. San Francisco
|
45
|
|
4. Gonzaga
|
41
|
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T5. Loyola Marymount
|
36
|
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T5. Santa Clara
|
36
|
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7. Saint Mary's
|
19
|
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8. San Diego
|
18
|
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9. Pepperdine
|
8
|
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2012 PRESEASON ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE TEAM
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|
RUNNER
|
SCHOOL
|
YEAR
|
|
Jared Bassett
|
Portland
|
Senior
|
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Ben Demaree
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Santa Clara
|
Junior
|
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Scott Fauble
|
Portland
|
Sophomore
|
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Steve Flint
|
BYU
|
Sophomore
|
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Lars Erik Malde
|
Portland
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Senior
|
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David Perry
|
Portland
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Sophomore
|
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Rex Shields
|
BYU
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Senior
|
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Tylor Thatcher
|
BYU
|
Junior
|
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Jared Ward
|
BYU
|
Junior
|
|
Jason Witt
|
BYU
|
Junior
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