WSU’s men’s cross country team was ranked 13th in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division I Preseason Poll on Tuesday. This follows the Cougars No. 11 preseason ranking in the 2017 season, which was the Cougars’ first time in the top 30 since 2012. This year is the first time ever that WSU has been ranked in the preseason poll in back-to-back seasons.

The USTFCCCA also released regional rankings where the men’s team is ranked fourth in the West region, while the women’s team is ranked ninth in the West region preseason rankings.

WSU is behind three other Pac-12 schools in the rankings: Stanford University, the University of Colorado and the University of Oregon, all three of which placed top 10 in the 2017 championships. Last year the WSU men’s team finished the season by placing 24th in the NCAA Cross Country Championships.