INDIANAPOLIS - The IU Indianapolis men's cross country team has been picked to finish second in the league according to the #HLXC Preseason Polls, released on Thursday (Aug. 29). The women's squad has been picked to finish fourth. 

Head coach Justin Roeder's team collected three of the 10 first-place votes to finish second to Youngstown State and was trailed by Oakland and Purdue Fort Wayne. On the women's side, Oakland garnered eight first-place votes for the top spot, followed by Milwaukee, Purdue Fort Wayne and the Jaguars. The 2024 Horizon League Cross Country Championships will be held Nov. 2 in Green Bay, Wisc. 

The men's team is coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes and finished among the league's top two for five straight seasons. The squad returns key veterans Mitchell Gits, Nate Kaiser, Matt Mitsch and Grant Moon and an incoming class of 13 rookies. Kaiser collected a pair of individual wins last season as the team's top performer. 

The women's team has finished fourth at the league championships each of the past two years and return a core that includes all-league performers Ellie Cates and Julie Smith. Senior Laci Provenzano provides another solid option and sophomore Grace Bragg emerged late last season. 

Both teams will open the season this Friday (Aug. 30) with the women at Valparaiso and the men at Northern Kentucky. 

The full results of this year's #HLXC Preseason Polls is below. 

2024 Under Armour Men's #HLXC Preseason Poll
Place. Team (First Place Votes) – Points
1. Youngstown State (7) – 97
2. IU Indianapolis (3) – 92
3. Oakland – 71
4. Purdue Fort Wayne – 70
5. Green Bay – 52
6. Milwaukee – 46
7. RMU – 41
8. Northern Kentucky – 40
9. Wright State – 31
10. Detroit Mercy – 10
 
2024 Under Armour Women's #HLXC Preseason Poll
Place. Team (First Place Votes) – Points
1. Oakland (8) – 116
2. Milwaukee (3) – 105
3. Purdue Fort Wayne – 100
4. IU Indianapolis – 86
5. Youngstown State – 82
6. Northern Kentucky – 56
7. Wright State – 53
8. RMU – 42
9. Green Bay – 41
10. Detroit Mercy – 30
11. Cleveland State – 15