SAN MATEO, Calif. – The Gonzaga men's cross country team was picked third in the West Coast Conference preseason poll the league announced Thursday. Yacine Guermali, Peter Hogan and James Mwaura were selected to the league's preseason team.
 
The preseason poll and All-WCC team were selected solely by a vote of the conference's head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own teams and student-athletes.
 
BYU, the defending national and West Coast Conference champions, was the unanimous selection for the poll. The Cougars collected eight first-place votes for a perfect score of 64 points. BYU, which has won the last five WCC championships, won its first national championship in 2019. After winning their 2020-21 season opener – the Silver State XC Challenge in Las Vegas – on Feb. 1, the Cougars are currently ranked No. 1 in the nation.
 
Portland, which came in 10th at the 2019 NCAA Championships, is second in the coaches' poll with one first-place vote and 56 points. Gonzaga (51 points), Santa Clara (43) and San Francisco (32) round out the top five while Pepperdine (24), LMU (22), Saint Mary's (19) and San Diego (13) fill out spots 6-9.
 
The 2020-21 All-WCC Preseason Spring Men's Cross Country Team is comprised of four runners from BYU, three from Gonzaga and three from Portland. Three of BYU's honorees, Conner Mantz (2018, 2019), Casey Clinger (2017) and Clayson Shumway (2018), have earned All-America honors.
 
Four of the 2020-21 All-WCC preseason honorees, including Mantz (1st), Gonzaga's James Mwaura (4th), Portland's Reuben Kiprono (6th) and BYU's Brandon Garnica (7th), finished in the top 10 at the 2019 WCC Championships.
 
The 2020-21 WCC Championships are scheduled for Feb. 24 in Las Vegas.
 

2020-21 WCC Spring Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
Nomination	Score
BYU (8)	64
Portland (1)	56
Gonzaga	51
Santa Clara	43
San Francisco	32
Pepperdine	24
LMU	22
Saint Mary's	19
San Diego	13

 

2020-21 All-WCC Preseason Spring Men's Cross Country Team
Name	Institution	Yr.
Casey Clinger	BYU	So.
Brandon Garnica	BYU	Jr.
Yacine Guermali	Gonzaga	Jr.
Peter Hogan	Gonzaga	Sr.
Reuben Kiprono	Portland	Sr.
Conner Mantz	BYU	Jr.
James Mwaura	Gonzaga	Jr.
Riley Osen	Portland	Sr.
Clayson Shumway	BYU	Sr.
Evert Silva	Portland	Jr.