OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Evergreen State College men's cross country team is listed sixth in the 2025 Cascade Collegiate Conference Preseason Poll. College of Idaho tops the poll with 141 points and 10 of the 12 first place votes.

Last year, the Geoducks took 10th place at the 2024 CCC Championships. Head Coach Joel Person is entering his third year leading the Geoducks in cross country and track and field teams.

Evergreen will begin the season on Saturday, August 30 at the Puget Sound Invitational. The meet will be held at Steilacoom Park in Lakewood, Wash. The 2025 CCC Championships are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 7 at Oak Knoll Golf Course near Independence, Oregon.

After College of Idaho in first, the CCC Preseason Poll continued with Lewis-Clark State College in second place with two first place votes and 123 points. Eastern Oregon University was third with 118 points and Southern Oregon University was fourth with 113 points.

Oregon Tech was fifth in the poll with 85 points and Evergreen was sixth at 79 points. Corban University held seventh place with 71 points, Northwest University was eighth with 57 points, Bushnell University was ninth with 55 points, and Trinity Western University (Langley, BC, Canada) was 10th at 42 points.

Walla Walla University followed in 11rth place with 29 points. Warner Pacific University was 12th with 19 points.

Alauna Carstens (Jr.) is a top returner for the Geoducks. Carstens did not compete in cross country during the 2024 season, but she placed fourth at the CCC Championships in 2023 and earned All-America status by placing 15th at the 2023 NAIA Cross Country Championships.

Another top returning athlete at Evergreen is Mara Schwenneker (Jr.). In 2024, Schwenneker was the Geoducks' top finisher at the CCC Championships.