WINTHROP, Mass. – Two days away from the 2019 GNAC Championships, the league released the GNAC Championship poll Thursday afternoon. The Rams' women's team are the predicted favorites, while the men's squad was chosen third in a vote by the head coaches.  

On the men's side, the Rams compiled 84 points along with one first-place vote to place third. Colby Sawyer took first with six first place nods for 92 points overall, while last year's champions, Norwich, claimed finished four points ahead of the Suffolk with a pair of first place picks.   

The women in blue-and-gold sat atop the poll, for the first known time in program history, behind five-first place votes for 114 points, just nine points ahead of projected runner-up Colby Sawyer, who gathered four first-place nods for 105 points. The reigning champion Emmanuel was picked first twice to complete the top three with 92 points.  

Suffolk and its conference counterparts make the trip to Standish, Maine, this Saturday, Nov. 2 for the 2019 GNAC Cross Country Championships. The women's 5K gets things underway on the SJC Cross Country Trail at 1 p.m., with the men's 8K wrapping up the day at 2 p.m.  

2019 GNAC Men's Cross Country Pre-Championship Poll
1. Colby Sawyer (6) - 92
2. Norwich (2) - 88
3. Suffolk (1) - 84
4. Saint Joseph's Maine - 70
5. Emmanuel (1) - 62
6. Regis - 47
7. Johnson & Wales - 44
8. USJ - 27
9. Lasell - 24
10. Rivier - 12

2019 GNAC Women's Cross Country Pre-Championship Poll
1. Suffolk (5) - 114
2. Colby Sawyer (4) - 105
3. Emmanuel (2) - 92
4. Saint Joseph's Maine - 82
5. Regis  - 79
6. Norwich - 74
7. Simmons - 61
8. Johnson & Wales - 49
9. Lasell - 30
10. USJ - 22
11. Rivier - 18