A recent preseason poll picked the Weber State University women’s indoor track and field team to win the Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field title. It picked the men’s team to finish fourth.

In 2012, WSU narrowly won the indoor title by one

point over California State University, Sacramento. In this year’s poll, WSU is predicted to finish ahead of CSUS by one point. The Wildcats received five first-place votes in the poll from conference head coaches.

WSU and CSUS have dominated the women’s indoor season recently. The Wildcats won in 2012, while the Hornets won the title in 2010 and 2011.

In this year’s poll, Northern Arizona University is picked to finish third, followed by Portland State University, Southern Utah University, the University of Montana and Montana State University.

Many members of the track and field team also participated in cross-country earlier this year, which saw WSU win the Big Sky Championship and Mountain Region Championship and finish 17th at the National Championship meet.

Veteran head coach Jim Blaisdell coaches the women’s team. This is his 31st year as head coach of the WSU team.

On the men’s side, the Wildcats were picked fourth in conference standings. NAU received nine first-place votes, followed by MSU and CSUS. Eastern Washington University was picked fifth, followed by SUU, Idaho State University and UM.

Head coach Dan Walker is returning for his seventh season with the Wildcats. WSU finished fifth at the indoor meet and took third in the outdoor championships. The Wildcats were second at this year’s Big Sky cross-country meet.

WSU begins the 2013 indoor season today at the Idaho State Snake River Open, one of five meets before the Big Sky Championships, which will be held Feb. 22-23 in Bozeman, Mont.