If University of St. Francis wants to make a statement in men's cross country this fall, the only way the Saints can do so is by knocking off three-time defending Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference champion Olivet Nazarene University.

USF, beginning just its fourth season, made strides in that direction in 2008 when it finished a distant second to the Tigers. The Saints are predicted to finish in that same spot this fall by a vote of league coaches. Olivet Nazarene earned eight of the ten possible first-place votes and 80 total votes in the preseason poll with USF gaining the other two first-place nods and 65 total votes.

Right on the heels of the Saints are Illinois Institute of Technology (64 votes) and Saint Xavier University (61).

USF will again be led by all-conference selections Michael McElyea (Sangamon Valley H.S./Illiopolis, IL) and Adam Yost (Sparta H.S./Sparta, MI).

The Saints open up their season on Sept. 4 at the Elmhurst College Earlybird Invitational.