GNAC Online Release
 
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference released their 2021 Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Poll on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. The Nanooks women's team was selected to finish ninth while the Alaska men's team was selected to finish 10^th. 
 
In the women's coaches' poll, Seattle Pacific grabbed the top-spot with 76 points. Despite only one first-place vote, the Falcons edged out Simon Fraser by one point. SFU pulled in second-place with 75 points and four of the 10 first-place votes. Alaska Anchorage received two first-place votes and came in third with 72 total points. In fourth-place with 66 points and two first-place votes came 2019 GNAC Championships winner, Western Washington. The final team to receive first-place votes was Northwest Nazarene with one first-place vote and 65 total points. 
 
Western Oregon (45), Central Washington (36), Saint Martin's (22), Alaska (21) and Montana State Billings (17) rounded out the poll. In 2019, the Nanooks women's team finished 8^th overall, earning 244 points at the GNAC Championships. 
 
On the men's side, Western Washington, the 2019 GNAC Championships winner, was selected to win the GNAC, again. They picked up 82 points and four of the first-place votes. Simon Fraser followed in second-place, receiving 78 votes and three first-place votes. Alaska Anchorage grabbed two first-place votes and 74 points to grab the third-place spot while Northwest Nazarene (61) and Western Oregon (51) grabbed fourth and fifth. Central Washington and Seattle Pacific tied for sixth-place but Central Washington grabbed the final first-place vote. Montana State Billings and Saint Martin's rounded-out the teams above Alaska (17).
 
In 2019, the Nanooks men's team raced to 8^th place with 242 team points at the GNAC Championships. 
 
The Nanooks will host their Blue/Gold races on Saturday, August 28 at the UAF Running Trails. Registration will be open until the first race at 10:00 a.m.
 
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks XC teams, follow @Alaska_XC on Instagram, or like the Alaska Nanooks XC team page on Facebook.