The University of Montana women’s cross country team was picked third in the 2010 Big Sky Conference preseason coaches’ poll, while the men were picked fourth the league office announced Monday. Both Griz squads finished third at the 2009 Big Sky Conference championships.

Northern Arizona, which has won the last three titles, was picked first in the women’s poll, but second-place Weber State and third-place Montana also picked up first-place votes.

If the poll is any indication of the actual on-course race, which will be held Oct. 30, in Spokane, Wash., it should be one of the closest races in years.

The Lumberjacks, who dominated the 2009 meet with their top five runners placing in the top 10 overall, received six first-place votes and picked up 75 points but lost three of their top-five runners.

Weber State edged Montana for second last year, finishing with 64 points to UM’s 66. The Wildcats, who picked up one first-place vote and earned 71 points, return all three of their runners who placed in the top 11 last year.

Montana, which got two first-place votes and finished with 70 points, returns its top five from last year’s conference meet.

Senior Katrina Drennen and junior Kesslee Payne both had top-seven finishes in 2009. Drennen placed third overall for her third straight All-Big Sky Conference performance.

Montana is seeking its first team title since the Grizzlies won back-to-back Mountain West Conference championships in 1983 and ’84. To get to the top, Montana will need to knock off the two teams that have won the last 14 Big Sky titles.

“It should be an exciting race this year,” third-year coach Courtney Babcock said. “NAU will be strong, but they’ve lost a few of their top runners. Weber and us have pretty much the same teams we had last year. It’s probably our best chance to win the Big Sky in a long time.”

Drennen, who would advance to the NCAA cross country championships, and Payne both had breakout track seasons last spring. Drennen advanced to nationals in the 1,500 meters, and Payne qualified for regionals in both the 800 and 1,500 meters.

Seniors Kara DeWalt and Brooke Andrus both return as part of Babcock’s experienced lineup. The two have combined for six top-20 finishes at Big Sky cross country championships.

DeWalt, who was never racing at 100 percent in 2009, placed 15th at the Big Sky meet last October. Andrus, who finished 12th as a sophomore, was 20th last year.

“Watching the improvements of the girls the last few years has been really exciting,” Babcock said. “Katrina made cross country nationals last year, but making track nationals just brought her to a whole other level.

“Kesslee was in the top 30 in the country in track, and Kara, with her one unattached steeplechase time last spring, would have made regionals (if she hadn’t redshirted), so it’s going to be exciting to see how that transitions to cross country and what they are capable of.”

Montana also has experienced returners in senior Bridgette Hoenke, who placed 21st last year, junior Mary Kettering and sophomore Emily Eickholt. The Grizzlies also add a pair of excellent freshmen in Keli Dennehy of Butte, Mont., and Annie Moore, of Bellingham, Wash.

“This year it’s going to be hard to make the top seven on our team, and that’s an exciting position to be in (as a coach),” Babcock added. “The great thing about having that depth is that we have room for error and room for injuries, which is a big part of our sport.

“And I think it will motivate everybody, because nobody is guaranteed a spot.”

Rounding out the women’s poll were Sacramento State in fourth (with 53 points), Idaho State (44) in fifth, Montana State (36) in sixth, Portland State (22) in seventh, Eastern Washington (19) in eighth and Northern Colorado in ninth (15).

Northern Arizona was the easy choice on the men’s side. The Lumberjacks dominated the 2009 meet with an almost perfect showing, placing their top five within the top seven overall and their top seven all within the top 10.

NAU, which would go on to place fourth at the national meet, returns all seven of those athletes in 2010.

David McNeill, the 2008 and ’09 Big Sky champion, returns for a chance at a third individual title. He was the runner-up at November’s NCAA meet.

Northern Arizona received eight first-place votes and 80 points.

Montana State, which was runner-up in 2009, was picked second, receiving 73 points and one first-place vote (but only because the NAU coach could not vote for his own team).

Weber State was third with 57 points, Montana fourth with 51 points and Eastern Washington fifth with 50 points.

Sixth-place Sacramento State (32 points), seventh-place Idaho State (29), eighth-place Portland State (20) and ninth-place Northern Colorado (13) rounded out the men’s poll.

Montana finished a strong third last fall, finishing just eight points behind the second-place Bobcats, but only three of the Grizzlies’ seven athletes to compete at 2009 Big Sky meet return.

Junior Lynn Reynolds paced Montana at both the 2008 and ’09 Big Sky meets and was one of only two runners to break up Northern Arizona’s winning quintet of athletes last year, earning his first All-Big Sky Conference honors with a fifth-place finish.

Senior Collin Fehr was 16th overall and sophomore Cody Lund 54th.

“Lynn was fifth in the conference last year, breaking up a team that placed fourth in the nation, so he is more than capable of running with guys at the top level,” Babcock said. “With him, it’s going to be more about working on his mental game. If we can get the two to come together, I wouldn’t put any limits on him.”

The rest of the Montana men’s team has a total of four Big Sky championship races to its credit.

Senior Steven Gimpel has raced twice at the Big Sky meet, but not since 2007. Junior Colin O’Neill raced in 2008, and Fehr for the first time last year.

Senior Sean Clark and sophomores Max Hardy and Casey Weinman also return.

2010 Big Sky Conference women’s poll results
1. Northern Arizona (6) 75
2. Weber State (1) 71
3. Montana (2) 70
4. Sacramento State 53
5. Idaho State 44
6. Montana State 36
7. Portland State 22
8. Eastern Washington 19
9. Northern Colorado 15

2010 Big Sky Conference men’s poll results
1. Northern Arizona (8) 80
2. Montana State (1) 73
3. Weber State 57
4. Montana 51
5. Eastern Washington 50
6. Sacramento State 32
7. Idaho State 29
8. Portland State 20
9. Northern Colorado 13

Montana Sports Information