Women's Cross Country selected to finish third in OAC preseason poll
By Caleb Scott
| 2017 OAC Coaches Preseason Poll |
ADA — The Ohio Northern women's cross country team has been selected to finish third in the Ohio Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll, voted on by the leagues ten head coaches.
The Polar Bears posted their 15th consecutive upper-division OAC finish in 2016 and will look to continue that trend in 2017.
Otterbein claimed the top spot with 80 points and eight first place votes, while John Carroll was picked to finish second with 71 points and one first place vote, and Northern rounded out the top three with 64 first places points and the final first place vote.
Northern opens the 2017 campaign at the annual Bluffton 5k Invitational on Sept. 1 under ninth-year head coach Jason Maus.
OAC Coaches Preseason Poll
August 24, 2017
| Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points |
| 1. | Otterbein (8) | 80 |
| 2. | John Caroll (1) | 71 |
| 3. | Ohio Northern (1) | 64 |
| 4. | Mount Union | 59 |
| 5. | Baldwin Wallace | 47 |
| 6. | Heidelberg | 45 |
| 7. | Capital | 32 |
| 8. | Muskingum | 25 |
| 9. | Marietta | 14 |
| 10. | Wilmington | 13 |