ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference released its 2024 Men's Cross Country preseason coaches poll and conference preview on Thursday morning, and the University of Northwestern tied for fourth after all the votes by the conference head coaches had been tallied.
The full UMAC conference preview can be accessed
here.
Northwestern received 27 points in the poll and tied with Bethany Lutheran for the fourth-place spot. Wisconsin-Superior was picked to repeat as champion with 49 points and seven first-place votes. Martin Luther came in second with 41 points and Crown was positioned firmly in third with 35, despite receiving the other first-place vote.
The Eagles, who finished third at the 2023 UMAC Championships, bring back their No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 team finishers from the conference meet.
Jacob Weddle (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) was UNW's top performer with a 13th-place finish, which earned him Second Team All-Conference honors.
Joshua Ringsmuth (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) came in 17th to claim Northwestern's runner-up spot, and
Bennett Selfridge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian) took 24th overall and was UNW's fourth finisher. The Eagles return more depth and experience behind Weddle, Ringsmuth and Selfridge, but the veteran group will have a rookie coach in 2024, as Patrick Fitzgerald takes the reins from
Steve Thiessen, who retired after three decades-plus at the helm of Northwestern Cross Country.
UNW will begin its season Friday at Falcon Heights Community Park with a dual meet against North Central. The women will race at 4:30 PM, followed by the men.
2024 UMAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1. UW-Superior | 49 (7)
2. Martin Luther | 41
3. Crown | 35 (1)
t4. Bethany Lutheran | 27
t4. Northwestern | 27
6. Minnesota Morris | 21
7. North Central | 17
8. Northland | 7
