Oklahoma Baptist will start the cross country season in September as the eighth-ranked men’s team in the NAIA. Due to a regional ranking snafu, no NAIA Region VI women’s teams, including OBU, were in the preseason poll, which was released Wednesday, Aug. 22. The Bison were ranked 10th in the final regular season poll of 2006. For the second consecutive year, the OBU men made the final rankings look bad. Last year, the Bison won the region crown and dropped from seventh to 10th in the NAIA. OBU rebounded with a fourth-place finish at the national meet. This year’s squad returns four of the seven runners from last year’s national meet team, including Lance Goodwin, Michael Elizondo, Justin Stroup and Josiah White. Added to the mix are state high school champion Josh Doyel and All-Stater Brandon Dickinson.
The varsity cross country season begins Sept. 15 with a trip to Joplin, Mo., for the Southern Stampede.