APPLETON, Wis. -- The Lawrence University men's cross country team was picked to finish first, and the women were chosen for second in the Midwest Conference in a poll of league coaches.
    On the men's side, Lawrence received 60 points in the preseason poll, and Grinnell College was second with 57. Cornell College won the league title in 2024, and the Vikings finished second with 55 points. 
    Lawrence returns the core of its team with five all-conference runners back this fall. Finn Lee took third in the league in 2024, and Nick Hansen took seventh to earn Newcomer of the Year honors. Ryan Cassiday was 13th last year, Zach Meyer was 15th and Caleb Hardy was 17th to round out Lawrence's returning all-conference honorees. 
    The Lawrence women, who are the defending conference champions, received 54 points in the poll. Grinnell was picked first with 61 points.
    The Vikings won the championship a season ago by finishing with 34 points at the MWC Championships, and Grinnell finished second with 45.
    The Lawrence women will be dramatically different as the Vikings graduated three all-conference runners. Three-time league champion Cristyn Oliver, Edythmae Frodl and Riley Winebrenner have all graduated. 
    The Vikings return the 2024 Newcomer of the Year, Mila Westra, who finished third at the league championships a season ago. The Vikings also return 2023 Newcomer of the Year Jane Partsch and Faith Onukaogu. 
    Lawrence opens its season on Saturday when the Vikings travel to the St. Norbert College Tom Barry Invitational at the Shorewood Cross Country Course at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. 

Editor's Note: There was an error in tallying the points in the initial poll due to two coaches voting for their own team, which is not allowed.