ISU Women No. 1, Men No. 3 In Preseason Regional Poll

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State women's cross country team opens the season as the No. 1-ranked program in the Midwest Region, the United State Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced this afternoon. The Cyclone men also cracked the region's top-five, coming in at No. 3 in the Midwest.

The women's squad is the four-time defending regional champion, having also won three consecutive conference crowns. The Cyclone women moved up through the regional rankings last season and held the Midwest's top spot over the final weeks of the season before taking the regional title.

The team returns five of last year's top seven and added depth over the recruiting season, bringing in talent from both the high-school and transfer markets.

The Iowa State women are one of three Big-12 teams ranked in the region's top-6 and are just ahead of No. 2-ranked Oklahoma State

The Cyclone men enter 2014 as they finished the 2013 season, ranked No. 3 in the region. The Cyclone men lost All-American Mohamed Hrezi to graduation, but the squad brings in a strong recruiting class from the high school ranks, also adding a couple of impact transfers.

The men rank No. 2 among Big 12 programs in the region, sitting behind No. 1-ranked Oklahoma State and ahead of No. 4-ranked Oklahoma and No. 6-ranked Kansas.

The men's and women's teams open the 2014 season Friday at the Bulldog 4K Classic in Des Moines, Iowa. Competition is slated to begin at 5:00 p.m. CT.

For the USTFCCCA's complete release and rankings, as well as in-depth team previews of both the men's and women's teams, see the 'Related Links' section of this article.

Midwest Region Top-5's

Women	Men
1. Iowa State	1. Oklahoma State
2. Oklahoma State	2. Tulsa
3. Minnesota	3. Iowa State
4. Southern Illinois	4. Oklahoma
5. Missouri	5. Illinois