2021 WCC CROSS COUNTRY ALMANAC
SAN MATEO, Calif. – BYU was the unanimous choice to win the program’s ninth West Coast Conference Men’s Cross Country Championship and seventh consecutive in the annual preseason poll. The preseason poll and the All-WCC team were selected solely by a vote of the conference’s nine head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own teams and student-athletes.
BYU, the 2019 NCAA Team Champions, captured its sixth straight WCC title in the 2020-21 Spring Season, scoring 25 points at Craig Ranch Park in Las Vegas, led by 2020 NCAA Individual Champion
Conner Mantz, who won his second straight WCC individual championship. Mantz is the first male to win back-to-back conference meets since Matt Sabo accomplished the feat for Portland in 1989-90. The Cougars earned a perfect preseason score with 64 points, including the maximum eight first-place votes, and placed four on the preseason All-WCC squad.
Portland was picked second with 54 points, narrowly edging Pacific Northwest rival Gonzaga in third place with 53 points. The Pilots finished third at the 2020-21 WCC Championship and advanced to their 21st NCAA Nationals appearance. The Bulldogs qualified for their first-ever team trip to Nationals last year. Both Portland and Gonzaga placed four on the preseason All-WCC team.
Santa Clara was picked to finish fourth with 46 points, followed by ancient Bay Area rival San Francisco in fifth place with 36 points.
The 2021 WCC Cross Country Men’s and Women’s Championship will be held Friday, October 29 at Newhall Community Park in Concord, Calif.
NATIONAL RANKING NOTES
BYU enters the 2021 Fall Season ranked No. 3 in the preseason USTFCCA national poll. Portland checks in at No. 16, while Gonzaga is No. 27. The Cougars are rated second in the Mountain Region while the Pilots are fourth in the West, followed by the Bulldogs ranked fifth.
ALL-WCC PRESEASON TEAM NOTES
- Conner Mantz is the first NCAA Individual Men’s Champion in WCC history
- Mantz and teammate Casey Clinger (13th place) earned All-America honors in 2020
- For his efforts, Mantz was named the 2020-21 National Runner of the Year by the USTFCCA – another WCC first
- Seven student-athletes finished in the top-10 at the 2020-21 WCC Championship to earn first team honors
- Three student-athletes finished between 11-15th place at the 2020-21 WCC Championship to secure second team honors
- All ten spots on the preseason All-WCC squad were claimed by 2020-21 NCAA Nationals participants
- Only three programs earned All-WCC selections, and all placed at least three on the list
2021 WCC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll
| Place |
Team |
First Place |
Points |
| 1. |
BYU |
9 |
64 |
| 2. |
Portland |
|
54 |
| 3. |
Gonzaga |
1 |
53 |
| 4. |
Santa Clara |
|
43 |
| 5. |
San Francisco |
|
36 |
| 6. |
Pepperdine |
|
24 |
| 7. |
Saint Mary’s |
|
22 |
| 8. |
LMU |
|
21 |
| 9. |
San Diego |
|
7 |
| 2021 Men’s Cross Country Preseason All-WCC Team |
|
| Name |
Institution |
Yr. |
|
| Casey Clinger |
BYU |
So. |
|
| Brandon Garnica |
BYU |
Jr. |
|
| Yacine Guermali |
Gonzaga |
Jr. |
|
| Jacob Klemz |
Portland |
Sr. |
|
| Zak Kirk |
Portland |
Jr. |
|
| Conner Mantz |
BYU |
Sr. |
|
| James Mwaura |
Gonzaga |
Jr. |
|
| Evert Silva |
Portland |
Jr. |
|
| Will Smith |
Gonzaga |
So. |
|
| Aidan Troutner |
BYU |
So. |
|