NEW ORLEANS - Hawaii is nice but the Cal Poly Pomona cross country program is focused more on the possibility of a November trip to Missouri.

The Broncos are looking to visit both states this season, as the West Region Championships are to be held on Nov. 3 in Oahu, Hawaii, before the National Championships take place on Nov. 17 in Joplin, Mo. From the West Region this year, the top six men's teams and six women's teams will advance to nationals.

On Friday, the CPP women's cross country team earned a No. 20 spot in the preseason national rankings as released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

To maintain or improve that ranking, the Broncos will have to prove themselves in the regular season that begins Saturday with an 8:55 a.m. race at the Mark Covert Classic in Brea. A bigger and more important meet will be on Saturday, Sept. 15, when CPP competes at the UC Riverside Invitational.

"We have strong leadership on both the men's and women's teams," first-year head coach Octavious Gillespie-Bennett said. "There is a lot of talent and they've worked hard throughout the preseason."

Leading the way on the women's squad is senior Tiffany Dinh. The Norwalk, Calif., native helped the Broncos reach nationals as a team in 2010 and then qualified individually last season. At the 2011 NCAA D-II Championships in Spokane, Wash., she placed 36th to earn All-American honors.

This year's CPP senior class also includes Regina Lopez, Jenny McCarthy, Johannah Murray, Lauren Parr and Juliana Ruffolo. The Broncos' roster of 17 runners includes freshmen Jaclyn Gonzalez, Marissa Nickles and Madison Nocon, who were featured in the signee story in July.

In the preseason poll released Friday, five West Region teams are mentioned. Sixth-ranked Alaska Anchorage, No. 8 Chico State, No. 13 Western Washington and No. 30 Seattle Pacific join CPP in the top 35.

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