ST. LOUIS — The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) announced the results of its preseason cross country polls on Friday ahead of the start of the 2023 season.
The UNI women were tabbed to finish sixth out of 12 teams this year, while the men were picked in a tie for eighth with Valparaiso. Belmont was selected as the preseason favorite to win the women's team title, with Drake voted to take the men's championship.
UNI returns seven from the 2022 team that finished seventh at the MVC Championships. Key returners include Emma Hoins, the Panthers' top finisher in the final three events of last season, including an individual time of 21:42 at the NCAA Midwest Regional, as well as veteran distance runners Kate Crawford, Sophia Jungling, Lauren Klein, Ella Popenhagen, Grace Schaefer and Kaylin Lacher.