Friday, March 23, 2007

The Valparaiso women's track and field team has been projected to finish fourth during the 2007 Mid-Continent Conference outdoor campaign, while its male counterparts have been picked fifth in preseason polling of the league's six head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own squads.

The women received 12 points in the polling, which granted six points for a first-place vote down to one point for a sixth-place selection. Oral Roberts was a unanimous selection, registering 25 points on five first-place votes. Southern Utah earned 21 points, including the remaining first-place vote, while Western Illinois tallied 17 points. UMKC (8) and Oakland (7) rounded out the voting.

The Crusader men totaled 9 points for its fifth place finish. Southern Utah received the maximum number of points with 25, including five first-place votes, while Oral Roberts was projected second with 21 points and one first-place vote. Western Illinois received 17 points for third place, while Oakland tallied 10 points. UMKC (8) closed out the polling.

The Crusader squads hit the track outdoors on March 31, when they travel to West Lafayette, Ind. to take part in the Mike Poehlein Invitational, hosted by Purdue. The first event is slated to begin at 8 a.m. CDT.