ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum College men and women's cross country teams are both picked to finish fifth at the 2008 South Atlantic Conference Championship, which will be held Oct. 25 in Irmo, S.C. The Tusculum men received 40 points in their respective poll of the league's nine cross country coaches, while the TC women garnered 38 total points.

Tusculum senior Alicja Dembna was named to the 2008 Preseason All-South Atlantic Conference Women's Cross Country First Team, as selected by the SAC's nine sports information directors.

Dembna, a native of Osterway, Poland, earned a spot on the 2007 All-SAC Second Team, finishing eighth at last year's championship with a time of 20:19.19. In all, Dembna posted five top 10 finishes, including three fourth-place showings.

Eleven-time defending SAC Champion Mars Hill College is the favorite to win the men's title once again as they received 80 of a possible 81 points, including eight first place votes. Wingate University is picked second with 67 points and a first place nod. Lenoir-Rhyne University (64) is slated to finish third, followed by Lincoln Memorial University (55), Tusculum (40), Newberry College (32), Carson-Newman College (27), Catawba College (23) and Brevard College (17).

On the women's side, Wingate is predicted to repeat as league champions. The Bulldogs received 78 points, including one first place vote. Carson-Newman received the lone remaining first place vote, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne (56), Tusculum, Lincoln Memorial (34), Catawba (29), Newberry (25) and Brevard (13).

The Pioneers will open the 2008 campaign, Saturday, Aug. 30 when they host the Tusculum Invitational at the Greene Valley Development Center.

- SAC -

SAC Men's Cross Country Poll
Pl. Team (1st Place Votes) Pts.
1 Mars Hill (8) 80
2 Wingate (1) 67
3 Lenoir-Rhyne 64
4 Lincoln Memorial 55
5 TUSCULUM 40
6 Newberry 32
7 Carson-Newman 27
8 Catawba 23
9 Brevard 17

SAC Women's Cross Country Poll
Pl. Team (1st Place Votes) Pts.
1 Wingate (7) 78
2 Mars Hill (1) 71
3 Carson-Newman (1) 61
4 Lenoir-Rhyne 56
5 TUSCULUM 38
6 Lincoln Memorial 34
7 Catawba 29
8 Newberry 25
9 Brevard 13