TERRE HAUTE, IND. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has been selected to finish fourth in men's cross country and seventh on the women's side in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference this season, in a preseason poll of league coaches released today.
Manchester College swept the top spot in both polls with 97 points and eight first-place votes. The men's poll featured Anderson in second place, Franklin in third and Rose-Hulman in fourth with one first-place vote. On the women's side, Hanover, Defiance and Franklin rounded out the top four spots.
The men's squad features the return of honorable mention all-conference sophomore Andrew Thompson. Senior Micah Aldrich won the 3,000-meter steeplechase title with a provisional national qualification effort in track and field, and senior Josh Elkins also provides depth.
On the women's side, junior Creasy Clauser earned league Freshman of the Year honors in 2009 and ranks third on the Fightin' Engineer all-time list in the five- and six-kilometer runs. Senior Shannon Butler and sophomores Katherine Moravec and Claire Stark provide depth, along with a strong freshman class led by California native Nicole Gonzalez.
Rose-Hulman's schedule begins with the Wabash Hokum Karem on Sept. 3. Other highlights include the Gibson Family Invitational hosted by Rose-Hulman on Oct. 8 and the HCAC championship meet on Oct. 29 at Anderson.
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2011 HCAC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES POLL |
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| RANK | SCHOOL | PTS. (1st) |
| 1) | Manchester | 97 (8) |
| 2) | Anderson | 85 (1) |
| 3) | Franklin | 82 |
| 4) | Rose-Hulman | 76 (1) |
| 5) | Defiance | 57 |
| 6) | Earlham | 51 |
| 7) | Hanover | 42 |
| 8) | Mount St. Joseph | 28 |
| 9) | Transylvania | 19 |
| 10) | Bluffton | 13 |
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2011 HCAC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES POLL |
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| RANK | SCHOOL | PTS. (1st) |
| 1) | Manchester | 97 (8) |
| 2) | Hanover | 89 (2) |
| 3) | Defiance | 83 |
| 4) | Franklin | 65 |
| 5) | Anderson | 56 |
| 6) | Transylvania | 52 |
| 7) | Rose-Hulman | 47 |
| 8) | Earlham | 31 |
| 9) | Bluffton | 17 |
| 10) | Mount St. Joseph | 13 |