See Complete OAC Cross Country Polls (.pdf)

BEREA, Ohio -- The Baldwin Wallace University men’s and women's cross country teams were selected to finish fifth and sixth in the 2014 Ohio Athletic Conference Cross Country Coaches Preseason Poll.  Veteran Yellow Jacket Head Coach Dr. Bill Taraschke’s goal is to surprise the opposition.

“Our goal is to get better every day,” said Taraschke who has led BW to some 40 OAC championships in men’s and women’s cross country and track. “We are still very young but have a veteran flavor.  We will look to our juniors and seniors to be the leaders. If each student-athlete and runner can fully concentrate on daily improvement, we have an opportunity to be better.”

Last year, the Yellow Jacket women finished sixth and the men eighth at the 2013 OAC Championship Meet, the women were 13th and men 14th at the All-Ohio Meet, and the women were 22nd and men 29th at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Championship Meet.

The men return four of the top seven runners (ran at the GL Region Meet in 2013) and the wommen have five of seven.

The men’s team will be led by senior Greg Blevins (Mentor) and junior Mike Miller (Strongsville). Miller placed 17th at last year’s OAC Meet and was 65th at the Regional. Blevins was 40th at OAC’s and 117th at the regional.

The women will be led by All-OAC junior Kali Fittro (Tiffin/ Columbian) who finished 12th at the last year’s OAC Championship Meet and 65th at the regional. She also is an outstanding student and athlete who earned Academic All-OAC honors in both cross country and track a year ago.

The men and women open the season on Friday, August 30 when they travel to Wooster to compete at the College of Wooster Invitational at 6:00 p.m. The OAC Championship Meet is on Saturday, November 1 and hosted by John Carroll University.