(Editor's note: Montana State Athletics news release.)
BOZEMAN — Montana State men's cross country will enter the 2024 season ranked 25th in the preseason edition of the USTFCCCA national coaches' poll, released Tuesday. The selection marks the third straight season the Bobcat men have earned a preseason national ranking.
Montana State finished 13th at the NCAA cross country championships last November in Charlottesville, Virginia, their best result since finishing 11th in 2002.
MSU has ascended to national prominence under head coach Lyle Weese, finishing 26th at the NCAA championships in 2022 before a 13th-place result last year. The back-to-back appearances at the national meet is a first in program history.
The Bobcats had three finish in the top 75 individually in Virginia, with Matthew Richtman (26th), Ben Perrin (53rd) and Owen Smith (72nd) leading the way.
After becoming MSU's second-ever two-time All-American in cross country (since Shannon Butler), Richtman is no longer wearing the Blue and Gold. However, Weese returns eight of his top nine runners from a season ago, including Perrin, Smith, and 2023 Big Sky freshman of the year Sam Ells.
Three-time 3,000 meter steeplechase All-American Levi Taylor and two-time steeplechase All-American Rob McManus also return as favorites to be scoring runners, with sophomore Harvey Cramb looking to build on his phenomenal freshman campaign.
The Stride Report also included Montana State's men in their preseason national rankings, slotting the Bobcats at No. 22. Montana State's men were slotted fifth in the preseason USTFCCCA Mountain Region coaches' poll, while the Bobcat women were ranked 12th.
Both MSU's men and women were picked second behind national power Northern Arizona in the preseason Big Sky coaches' poll.
Montana State opens up the 2024 season at home this Friday, hosting the MSU Bobcat Twilight meet at Dyche Field. The pair of 5-kilometer races gets underway with the men at 7:20pm followed by the women at 7:45pm.
