Holland Reporter

Grand Valley State University's men's and women's cross country teams are set to begin their 2024 season at the Michigan State Spartan Invitational on Friday, September 13. The teams have received favorable preseason rankings.

The GLIAC Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll has predicted both squads to finish first in their conference. The men's team earned 81 total points and nine first-place votes, while the women's team secured the maximum 100 points along with ten first-place votes.

The USTFCCCA placed both the men's and women's teams at the top of the Midwest Regional poll. This includes other GLIAC members such as Saginaw Valley State, Michigan Tech, and Wayne State.

In the USTFCCCA National Coaches' Preseason Poll, GVSU's women were ranked second nationally, while the men were ranked fifth. No other GLIAC programs made it into the top ten besides Grand Valley State.

GVSU is looking forward to an exciting season following a successful 2023 campaign. The Lady Lakers ended last season with several titles: GLIAC Championship, NCAA DII Midwest Regional title, and NCAA DII National Championship. The men's team also claimed a GLIAC Championship and NCAA DII Midwest Regional title and finished seventh overall at the NCAA National Championships with four runners in the Top 50.

The GVSU cross country teams will compete at Forest Akers Golf Course on Friday morning. The women's collegiate 6k begins at 9 a.m., followed by the men's collegiate 8k at 9:40 a.m.