CORVALLIS, Ore. - The Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers Cross Country team is gearing up for an exciting season as they have been selected second in the Cascade Collegiate Conference preseason poll.

The Mounties garnered significant attention with three first-place votes, securing 87 points, second only to College of Idaho. The group is coming off a memorable performance last season, standing 12th at the NAIA Championships. This showcase of determination has projected Easter Oregon as a force to be reckoned with in this year's championships.

Southern Oregon University is also in close contention, receiving the remaining two first-place votes with a score of 85 points. Other noteworthy mentions include Lewis-Clark State College with 67 points and Oregon Tech with 59 points.

Following the top five, Northwest University earned 50 points, Corban University achieved 40 points, and Bushnell University secured the eighth spot with 30 points. Rounding out the Cascade Conference teams are Multnomah University with 27 points and The Evergreen State College's new program with 5 points.

The stage is set for a thrilling cross country season in the Cascade Conference. EOU brings back several standouts from last years season, such as National Championship qualifiers Justin Ash, Winston Telford, Hunter Nichols, and Johnny Wind. These returners will look to improve on last year's times and prove why deserve the top spot in the conference.

The much-anticipated 2023 CCC Cross Country championships are scheduled for Nov. 3, hosted by the College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho. The victorious team will secure the conference's automatic qualifier spot for the NAIA National Championships, set to take place on Nov. 17th in Vancouver, Washington.