Wolverines Open 2015 Ranked No. 12
9/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The University of Michigan women's cross country team is ranked No. 12 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I National Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Poll, as announced Tuesday (Sept. 1).
U-M welcomes back two of its top three from a year ago, and five athletes who scored for the Maize and Blue at some point in the 2014 postseason. Led by All-America junior Erin Finn and three-time all-conference senior Shannon Osika, U-M returns seven athletes with championship experience overall, and the program also welcomes transfers Erika Fleuhr (Princeton) and sisters Haley Meier and Hannah Meier (Duke) to Ann Arbor along with a strong freshman class of 13 athletes.
Fifth-year senior Devon Hoppe, along with her classmates Laura Addison and Anna Pasternak, provides U-M with a strong presence of upperclassmen to once again contribute to a deep lineup.
Michigan is one of five Big Ten institutions ranked among the nation's top 30, including Minnesota (27), Penn State (23), Wisconsin (11) and Michigan State (2). This marks the fourth season in the last five in which U-M has been ranked in the nation's top 13, including the program's first-ever No. 1 ranking last fall. [ Complete Poll ]
The Wolverines will open the 2015 season on Saturday (Sept. 5), with the EMU Open at 10:30 a.m. The 5,000-meter, non-scoring race will be held at Eagle Crest Golf Course in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Communications Contact: Chad Shepard
