ONU Women picked second, Men picked fourth in 2021 OAC Cross Country Coaches Poll
By Tim Glon
| 2021 OAC Coaches Preseason Poll (.pdf) |
ADA – The Ohio Northern Women's cross country team was picked to finish second and the men's cross country team has been picked to finish fourth in the Ohio Athletic Conference in a poll conducted by the league's 10 coaches.
The Polar Bears received 68 points and one first place vote in the women's poll, trailing only John Carroll (83 points - nine first place votes).
Baldwin Wallace was picked to finish third with 62 points and Otterbein was picked fourth with 59 points.
The ONU men received 58 points. John Carroll was picked to win the league with 81 points and nine first place votes, Otterbein was picked second with 73 points and one first place vote and Mount Union was picked third with 61 points.
The 2020 seasons were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the Ohio Northern men were 99-53 and finished fourth in the OAC and the women were 99-35 and were 4th at the OACs.
The Polar Bears will open their 2021 seasons on Sept. 4 when they host the Polar Bear Invite on the ONU campus under 13th-year head coach Jason Maus.
August 26, 2021
OAC Women's Coaches Preseason Poll
| Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points |
| 1. | John Carroll (9) | 81 |
| 2. | Ohio Northern (1) | 68 |
| 3. | Baldwin Wallace | 62 |
| 4. | Otterbein | 59 |
| 5. | Mount Union | 54 |
| 6. | Heidelberg | 40 |
| 7. | Wilmington | 35 |
| 8. | Marietta | 20 |
| 9. | Muskingum | 18 |
| 10. | Capital | 13 |
OAC Men's Coaches Preseason Poll
| Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points |
| 1. | John Carroll (9) | 81 |
| 2. | Otterbein (1) | 73 |
| 3. | Mount Union | 61 |
| 4. | Ohio Northern | 58 |
| 5. | Wilmington | 49 |
| 6. | Heidelberg | 44 |
| 7. | Baldwin Wallace | 33 |
| 8. | Muskingum | 24 |
| 9. | Marietta | 17 |
| 10. | Capital | 10 |