Melissa Rogers - 2008 HCAC champion.

TERRE HAUTE, IND. -- The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology men's cross country team has been picked to finish second this season, with the women selected fourth, in a preseason poll of league coaches released today.

The men's squad received 71 poll points and a pair of first-place votes to finish second in the poll.  Manchester was the preseason title selection with 77 points and six first-place votes.

On the women's side, Manchester edged Franklin 77-76 to narrowly earn preseason favorite honors.  Anderson received 63 poll points, followed by Rose-Hulman with 49.

The men's squad features the return of four runners who have earned league wide recognition during their running careers.  Junior David Caldwell (Plymouth) placed eighth in the conference last season to propel the team's second-place finish. 

Junior Tyler Kreipke (Zionsville) and sophomore Micah Aldrich (Indianapolis/Warren Central) each return after claiming honorable mention all-league honors in 2008.  Junior Clark Moser (Elwood) missed the end of last fall's season due to injury but captured honorable mention all-conference honors in 2007.

David Caldwell -- first-team all-HCAC in 2008.

On the women's side, Rose-Hulman is bolstered by the return of defending conference champion Melissa Rogers (Crawfordsville/ Southmont).  Her six-kilometer time of 23:32 at Manchester last season made Rogers the first women's cross country league champion in program history.   

Senior Amanda Lundahl (Lake Forest, Ill.) provides returning depth to the women's squad.  Newcomers Creasy Clauser (Crawfordsville/ Southmont) and Katie Ross (Connersville) are talented freshmen who are immediately expected to impact the team score.

Rose-Hulman will compete in three events at the local Bird-Gibson Cross Country Course this fall.  The Indiana Intercollegiate Meet returns to Terre Haute as part of its three-year rotation on Sept. 18 at 2 p.m.