SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The Portland Pilots are the West Coast Conference preseason favorite to win the WCC Women's Cross Country Championship as announcedby the Conference on Wednesday.
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.
The Pilots, currently ranking seventh in the West Region, took first with 60 points, including four first-place votes. The Pilots tied with Gonzaga for the most runners on the preseason team with three. Among the Pilots on the preseason team is All-American and two-time preseason honoree
Laura Pellicoro.
No. 16 Gonzaga and No. 15 Portland tied to finish second with 54 points. The Zags earned two first-place votes compared to one for the Pilots, and the Bulldogs led the way with four runners on the preseason team.
Other preseason team honorees who made the team last year include
Rayna Stanziano from Saint Mary's, and
Alicia Anderson from Gonzaga.
The 2023 WCC Cross Country Men’s and Women’s Championship will be held Saturday, October 28, hosted by Pepperdine at Alumni Park in Malibu, Calif.
2023 WCC Women’s Cross Country Preseason Poll
| Place |
Team |
First Place |
Points |
| 1. |
Portland |
4 |
60 |
| 2. |
San Francisco |
3 |
58 |
| 3. |
Gonzaga |
|
53 |
| 4. |
Santa Clara |
|
42 |
| 5. |
Saint Mary's |
|
36 |
| 6. |
San Diego |
|
24 |
| 7. |
LMU |
|
22 |
| 8. |
Pepperdine |
|
18 |
| 9. |
Pacific |
|
11 |
| 2023 Women’s Cross Country Preseason All-WCC Team |
|
| Name |
Institution |
Yr. |
|
| Alicia Anderson |
Gonzaga |
Gr. |
|
| Grace Copeland |
San Francisco |
So. |
|
| Kinsey Hall |
Santa Clara |
Jr. |
|
| Courtney Klatt |
Portland |
Sr. |
|
| Rosina Machu |
Gonzaga |
Jr. |
|
| Mie Nielsen |
Portland |
Jr. |
|
| Laura Pellicoro |
Portland |
Jr. |
|
| Samantha Prusse |
Portland |
Jr. |
|
| Rayna Stanziano |
Saint Mary's |
Sr. |
|
| Sadie Tuckwood |
Gonzaga |
Jr. |
|