The South Dakota State men's cross country team opens the season ranked eighth in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) regional preseason poll.

The Jacks are located in the Midwest Region and open the season in the same position that the team held at the finish of 2010.

The Jacks welcome back three of its four all-league selections from last year's championship team, including first team selection Michael Krsnak. Along with Krsnak, SDSU returns a pair of second team performers in Jared Ailts and Greg Vollmer.

Big 12, in state rivals Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in first and second place, lead the Midwest Region. These schools finished in the top two spots last season, as well, with Oklahoma finishing in first-place.

Big ten schools Minnesota and Illinois follow in third- and fourth-place, followed by Tulsa, Iowa State and Iowa in fifth-, sixth- and seventh-place.

Southern Illinois and Nebraska round out the top 10.

The USTFCCCA also released the national poll this week. Oklahoma State, the top team in the Midwest Region, received 10 first-place votes and is the top team in the nation. The Jacks did not receive any votes in the national poll.

South Dakota State opens the men's and women's cross country seasons on Saturday, Sept. 3, in Grand Forks, N.D., for the UND Ron Pynn Invitational.