LONG BEACH, Calif. – The final fall preseason polls are out, as the Pacific West Conference office revealed the rankings for the upcoming cross country season.  Both the Vanguard men's and women's cross country teams found themselves in identical positions across both PacWest polls, as the two counterparts each landed in sixth in their respective standings.

The men were awarded 50 points, placing them between Fresno Pacific (65 points) and Dominican (40 points). The women clinched 84 points, also trailing Fresno Pacific (93 points) but sustaining a steady lead over Westmont, who earned 73 points.

Voters put their stock in Biola to lead the pack on both the men's and women's sides. In the men's poll, the Eagles were given 95 points, including six first-place nods. BU was tracked closely by Concordia (88 points) and Azusa Pacific (84 points), as both programs split the remaining four first-place votes between them. You can check out the full men's release here.

The women's poll saw Biola take firm command, netting 143 points and 11 of the 12 first-place votes. Point Loma tallied 129 points, as well as the final first-place vote to plant them in second. Concordia was third with 122 points, and Azusa Pacific completed the rest of the top four with 102 points. Click here to view the complete women's poll.

Men's cross country adds two new recruits to the core five returners. Sole senior Cooper Anderson will look to build on his best finish from the PacWest Championships. The women's team size grows exponentially, with the introduction of 11 new runners to join the seven returners. Kate Baranski hopes to take off after a standout PacWest debut campaign. The junior became Vanguard's first All-PacWest Honoree last fall after a top 21 finish at the PacWest championships. The Lions start their season next week at the 33rd Annual Vanguard Invitational at Mason Regional Park, Friday, September 5.