COLUMBIA, Mo. – A pair of preseason polls were announced Monday, as the Southeastern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll and the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Association Regional Rankings were both released. In the SEC poll, the Mizzou women's team came in at No. 5 and the men's team at No. 6, while the women's team checked in at No. 8 in the Midwest Region of the USTFCCCA poll and the men at No. 10.
Coaches from the SEC voted to create the polls but were not permitted to vote for their own teams. Points for the men's poll were awarded on a 1-11 basis, while the women's poll was awarded on a 1-13 basis. The USTFCCCA Regional Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region.
The women's team earned 63 points in the SEC poll, coming in at No. 5 while ranking eighth in the Midwest Region of the USTFCCCA poll. The women earned their third consecutive top-five finish last season after earning a fifth place finish at the SEC Championships. Returning contributors include sophomores Tori Findley (Blue Springs, Mo.), Mikayla Reed (Washington, Mo.) and Reilly Revord (Hinsdale, Ill.). All three earned All-SEC Freshman team honors, while Findley also earned All-SEC Second Team honors after a tenth-place finish at the SEC meet.
The men's team checked in at No. 6 with 60 points in the SEC poll and 10th in the Midwest Region of the USTFCCCA poll. The Tigers finished fifth at last year's SEC Championships. Senior Kieran Wood (Cambridge, U.K.) returns after a tenth-place finish at last year's conference championships, earning All-SEC Second Team distinction.
Mizzou will open the season on Friday, Aug. 30 with a home opener at LA Nickell Golf Course. This will serve as Mizzou's first home meet since 2014. The 2019 SEC Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1 in Lexington, Ky.
For all the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MIZ_TrackField).