Complete All-Ohio Athletic Conference Coaches Preseason Poll (.pdf)

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University women's cross country team has been voted to place fourth, while the men's team has been voted to place sixth in the annual Ohio Athletic Conference Coaches Preseason Poll.

The Yellow Jacket women, who were picked to finish fourth in the 2022 season and finished fourth at the OAC Championships, were selected fourth with 58 points. Defending OAC Champion and longtime rival John Carroll University was chosen to place first unanimously, with 81 points and nine first place votes. Ohio Northern University ranked in second place with 69 points. The University of Mount Union was slated third with 61 points and one first place vote. The fifth place spot was a tie between Heidelberg and Otterbein University, each with 45 points respectively.

The BW men, who were picked to finish seventh in the 2022 season and finished sixth at the OAC Championships, were selected sixth with 41 points. Defending OAC Champion and crosstown rival John Carroll was chosen to place first unanimously, with 81 points and nine first place votes. Mount Union ranked in second place with 69 points and one first place vote. Otterbein University was third with 64 points and Wilmington College was fourth with 56 points. Closing out the top five was Ohio Northern with 54 points. 

BW Coordinator of Cross Country and Track and Field Joe Eby returns 14 letterwinners (seven women and seven men) and eight Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference selections (five women and three men) from last year's squads. Eby also welcomes back 2021 OAC Women's Champion in junior Hope Murphy (Mogadore). 

The Yellow Jackets open the 2023 campaign on Sept. 1 when they travel to Norton to compete in the 54th Annual Tommy Evans Invitational, hosted by the University of Akron.