BOSTON – As the Suffolk cross country men's and women's teams prep for the 2017 GNAC Championships this weekend, the conference has released the championship coaches' poll Thursday afternoon. The Rams' men's squad has been picked to finish seventh, while the women's team was selected sixth.

The 2017 GNAC Cross Country Championships, which will be hosted by Johnson & Wales, Saturday, Oct. 28 at Colt State Park in Bristol, Rhode Island, will get underway with a 1 p.m. women's 5k, followed by the men's 8k race at 2 p.m.  

In the women's poll, Suffolk finished with 83 points good for sixth, putting the Rams ahead of Saint Joseph's (Maine) (74), Saint Joseph (Conn.) (64), Lasell (48), Rivier (42), Mount Ida (23) and Anna Maria (21). The reigning conference champions Norwich is predicted to place second as the Cadets received two first-place votes for 126 points. Last year's runner up Simmons is selected to raise the trophy this year as it received eight first-place nods for 137 points.

On the men's side, the Rams' 37 points put Suffolk in seventh ahead of Mt. Ida (34), Rivier (23) and Anna Maria (15). Defending league champ Norwich was picked as the favorite, receiving nine first-place votes for 99 points, finishing 13 points ahead of second-place finisher Emmanuel, which garnered one first-place nod and 86 points overall. Johnson & Wales and Regis (Mass.) were tabbed third and fourth, respectively, with 76 and 67 points. St. Joseph's (Maine) closed out the top five in the men's ledger with 59 points.

2017 GNAC Men's Cross Country Pre-Championship Poll
1. Norwich (9) - 99
2. Emmanuel (1) - 86
3. Johnson & Wales - 76
4. Regis (Mass.) - 67
5. Saint Joseph's Maine - 59
6. Lasell - 54
7. Suffolk - 37
8. Mount Ida - 34
9. Rivier - 23
10. Anna Maria - 15

2017 GNAC Women's Cross Country Pre-Championship Poll
1. Simmons (8) - 137
2. Norwich (2) - 126
3. Emmanuel (1) - 121
4. Regis (Mass.) - 99
5. Johnson & Wales (1) - 98
6. Suffolk - 83
7. Saint Joseph's Maine - 74
8. Saint Joseph (Conn.) - 64
9. Lasell - 48
10. Rivier - 42
11. Mount Ida - 23
12. Anna Maria - 21