Men’s Harriers Slotted Fifth in the HCAC Preseason Poll

GREENWOOD, Ind. – The men's cross country team is ranked fifth in the conference according to the 2010 HCAC Preseason Poll, released by the league office on Monday. Defiance garnered 57 points in the poll, marking an 18-point improvement over last year's count. [Pre-Season Poll]

Manchester notched 98 points to top the poll, with Anderson (89), Franklin (80), Rose-Hulman (72), and Defiance rounding out the top-five. Earlham College, which transferred to the HCAC from the North Coast Athletic Conference in May, received 47 points and a sixth-place ranking, while Hanover (45), Mount St. Joseph (26), Bluffton (19), and Transylvania (17) comprised the 7-10 spots.

The conference also tabbed three Yellow Jackets as Preseason Runners-to-Watch, with Seth Bidlack, Justin Perkins and Hayden Krick each receiving the honor for the second season in a row.

Bidlack is one of two seniors on the men's cross country squad, and will lead the Yellow Jackets as they attempt to improve upon last season's fifth-place finish at the HCAC Championships. The Oakwood, Ohio native was an All-HCAC and All-Ohio performer on the track last season, in addition to receiving recognition as a member of the conference's All-Sportsmanship Team.

Krick had an impressive freshman campaign in 2009, posting one of DC's top-two performances in each of the Yellow Jackets' eight races. Krick finished second overall at the Bluffton Invitational last season, and led all Defiance runners at the NCAA Div. III Great Lakes Regional Championships in his first year out of Antwerp High School.

Perkins led the Yellow Jackets in all but one of DC's seven individual competitions last year. The Fairview High School product posted the best overall time at the Bluffton Invitational last season, and finished 24th overall at the HCAC Championships. Perkins was also an exceptional performer for DC's track and field team during the 2009-10 season, breaking school-records in both the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 5,000-meter run.

The cross country team is set to begin the season at home on Saturday, September 11, at the Defiance College Cross Country Invitational. The men's 8k race is scheduled to begin at 10:45 a.m., following the women's 10:00 a.m. start.