MADISON, S.D. – The Bellevue University men's cross country team is picked to finish fourth in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) preseason coaches' poll released today by the conference office. It marks the highest-ever preseason ranking for the Bruins. 

Bellevue returns five letterwinners from last season's squad that finished sixth in the NSAA. 

The NSAA men's cross country coaches voted Dakota State (S.D.) as the preseason favorite to repeat the league title.

The Trojans won their second straight North Star men's cross-country conference title last season.  Dakota State collected three first-place votes in the preseason poll, earning 39 points.

Viterbo (Wis.) also tallied three first-place votes in the preseason poll and recorded 35 points to finish second in the poll.  Dickinson State (N.D.) was third with 30 points, followed by Bellevue fourth with 27 points. Valley City State (N.D.) placed fifth with 17 points, Waldorf (Iowa) sixth with 14 points, and Presentation sixth with six points.

The NSAA Cross Country Conference Championship meet will be hosted by Dakota State on Nov. 6 in Madison, S.D.  The team winner of the conference meet will earn the North Star's automatic bid to the NAIA Men's Cross-Country National Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on April 9, 2021 (all NAIA fall season sports national tournaments had been moved to spring season due to COVID-19 pandemic).

Below is the complete preseason coaches' poll for 2020 NSAA Men's Cross Country: