KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With a new season set to get running soon, the Fort Hays State women’s cross country team will start the new year ranked third in the MIAA Preseason Coaches’ Poll released Thursday (Aug. 24). The Tigers are coming off one of their best seasons yet, as they finished 18th at the NCAA Division II National Championships – the highest finish for an MIAA program in the field. At the conference championships, Fort Hays State earned a third place finish.
In the preseason edition of the coaches’ poll, the Tigers captured 126 total points with one first-place vote from the fellow MIAA coaches. Last season’s MIAA champion, Southwest Baptist, took the No. 1 preseason ranking with 10 first-place votes and 141 total points.
The Tigers return five of their top seven runners from 2016. Back to lead the Tigers for her senior campaign is Shea Bonine who finished second in the MIAA conference meet last season, as well as earned a 41st place time in the NCAA championships. Bonine also gathered All-MIAA honors and All-Region accolades last season.
Alongside Bonine for head coach Jason McCullough’s 2017 squad, returners include fellow seniors in Chelsea Jackson and Lauren Roberts. Jackson captured a 17th place finish last season at the conference meet while earning All-MIAA honorable mention honors, while Roberts crossed the line 82nd.
Coach McCullough says this is one of his most experienced squads in recent memory, and will be joined by a strong incoming class to try and stay in the upper level of the MIAA. Most notably for the freshmen will be Grace Buessing out of Wichita, and Rebeca Avelar out of Johnson, Kan., who won the 2A state title in 2016.
Lauren Roberts’ twin sister Lindsay looks to also have an impact in 2017 after not competing in 2016.
On Saturday (Aug. 26), Fort Hays State University will host its 31st annual Alumni Run at the Sand Plum Nature Trail in Victoria, Kan. The gun will shoot at 9:30 a.m. You can also see the Tigers in Hays on Saturday Oct. 7 when they host the FHSU Tiger Open starting at 9:00 a.m.
2017 MIAA Preseason Women’s Cross Country Coaches’ Poll
1.) Southwest Baptist (10) 141
2.) Pittsburg State (2) 131
3.) Fort Hays State (1) 126
4.) Missouri Southern 108
5.) Central Missouri 96
6.) Nebraska-Kearney 95
7.) Central Oklahoma 67
8.) Northwest Missouri 56
9.) Emporia State 54
10.) Lindenwood 49
11.) Washburn 40
12.) Missouri Western 35
13.) Lincoln 16