ABILENE -- The ACU men's cross country team, coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes as the NCAA Division II national championship meet, will start the 2002 season in the No. 2 spot behind defending national champion Western State (Colo.).

ACU is the only Lone Star Conference team ranked in the nation's pre-season top 20, which is compiled by Division II Cross Country Coaches Association. The Wildcats, who will be overwhelming favorites to capture their 12th straight LSC championship next month, are the top-ranked team in the association's pre-season South Central region poll.

The ACU women, meanwhile, are ranked fourth in the South Central region women's poll, but are unranked nationally. ACU, the defending LSC champion, finished a strong fifth at last year's regional championship meet.

Western State has won three straight national championships, but lost its top runner -- the incomparable Michael Aish -- to graduation. ACU, meanwhile, returns each of its top five runners from last year. ACU head coach Jon Murray, though, said that doesn't matter in the face of Western State's national championship history.

"Certainly we have high expectations going into the season," Murray said. "We have just about everyone back from the last two national runner-up teams, and we expect to give Western State a stiff challenge for the championship.

"We are the underdogs," he said. "There is no way we can be considered the favorite to win the national championship. We're just little old Abilene Christian, and we hope we can stay close to Western State."

On the women's side, Murray is looking to lead his team back to the national meet for the first time since a 16th-place finish in 1997. The Wildcats might have taken the first step back to the national scene last year when they won the LSC title for the first time since 1997.

"The key to last year's team was how Cassie Chaffin and Angie Waters stepped up to lead us throughout the season," Murray said. "We have both of them back this year - as well as a few others - and they've tasted success. If we can get one or two of those newcomers to step up, we'll have a chance to get to the national meet.

"We're hoping to get back to the national level," he said. "It's been several years since we've been there, and we need to get back."