ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum College men and women's cross country teams have been picked to finish ninth and 10th, respectively at the 2014 South Atlantic Conference Championship. The league championships will be held Nov. 8th in Salisbury, North Carolina and host by Catawba.

In the SAC Men's Cross Country Poll, the Pioneers received 38 total points in a vote of the league's 12 head coaches. Mars Hill is the favorite to claim its 18th consecutive league title. The Lions received 120 points and 10 first place votes, while Queens is second in the poll with 112 points and two first place nods. Anderson is third with 95 points, while Brevard and Lincoln Memorial are tied for fourth with 80 points each. Wingate is sixth with 78 points, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne (68), Carson-Newman (42), Tusculum, Coker (28), Catawba (27) and Newberry (24).

In the women's poll, Tusculum garnered 32 total points. Wingate is picked to claim the women's crown as the Bulldogs received 121 points and 11 first place votes. Queens is second with 110 points, Mars Hill is third with 97 points, Anderson fourth with 91 points and Lenoir-Rhyne rounds out the top-five with 86 points and a first place vote. Brevard is sixth with 69 points, followed by Lincoln Memorial (59), Catawba (44), Carson-Newman (39), Tusculum, Coker (23) and Newberry (21).

Second-year head coach Cory Pratt returns eight letter-winners (4 men, 4 women) from a year ago, including three-time All-Southeast Region standout David Cooper (Greeneville, Tenn.) on the men's team and rising sophomore Samantha Vogt (Maryville, Tenn.) on the women's squad.

The Pioneers open the season on Friday, Sept. 5th with the Catawba Invitational. TC will get a preview of the Salisbury (N.C.) Community Park layout, which will be the host venue for the SAC Championship later this fall.

- SAC -

2014 SAC Men's Cross Country Coaches' Poll
Rk School (1st Place Votes) Pts
1 Mars Hill (10) 120
2 Queens (2) 112
3 Anderson 95
4 Lincoln Memorial 80
Brevard 80
6 Wingate 78
7 Lenoir-Rhyne 68
8 Carson-Newman 42
9 TUSCULUM 38
10 Coker 28
11 Catawba 27
12 Newberry 24

2014 SAC Women's Cross Country Coaches' Poll
Rk School (1st Place Votes) Pts
1 Wingate (11) 121
2 Queens 110
3 Mars Hill 97
4 Anderson 91
5 Lenoir-Rhyne (1) 86
6 Brevard 69
7 Lincoln Memorial 59
8 Catawba 44
9 Carson-Newman 39
10 TUSCULUM 32
11 Coker 23
12 Newberry 21