CCAC News
Posted by Dave Laketa - Wed, Aug 26, 2009 - [ Men's Cross Country ] - Viewed 506 times
2008 CCAC Runner of the Year Drew Collette is back for NAIA No. 9-ranked Olivet Nazarene.
2008 CCAC Runner of the Year Drew Collette is back for NAIA No. 9-ranked Olivet Nazarene.

After finishing the 2008 cross country campaign ranked ninth in the nation at the NAIA level, Olivet Nazarene University's men's team begins the 2009 season in the No. 8 slot, it was announced by the NAIA national office on Wednesday.

ONU, led by junior NAIA All-American Drew Collette, garnered 412 total votes in the preseason poll of coaches with two-time defending national champion Malone University (Ohio) grabbing the No. 1 spot with 18 of 20 first-place votes and a total of 559 tallies.

Aquinas College (Mich.) (528 votes), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) (515), Simon Fraser University (B.C.) (496) and Concordia University (Neb.) (475) round out the top five.

Olivet Nazarene was also picked to capture its fourth straight Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) title by a vote of league coaches earlier this year.

For a complete listing of the NAIA national rankings, go to: http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-xc/spec-rel/082609aac.html