ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The South Atlantic Conference has announced its annual preseason coaches' poll for men's and women's cross country for the upcoming 2017 season.
Tusculum has been picked to finish 10th in the men's rankings and ninth in the women's poll, mirroring the women's finish in the 2016 SAC Championship, while the TC men finished 11th at last year's conference meet.
Tusculum head coach Cory Pratt will field a 25-runner roster with 10 on the men's side and 15 on the women's squad. Pratt, who is entering his fifth season at the helm of the Tusculum program, returns four letter-winners on the men's team and seven returnees for the women.
The 2017 South Atlantic Conference Championship will be held Oct. 21 at Southside Park in Newton, North Carolina and hosted by Lenoir-Rhyne.
Mars Hill is the favorite to win the SAC Men's Cross Country Championship. The Lions, who won their 19th SAC title last year, received 98 total points including eight first place votes of a poll of the league's head coaches. Queens is second in the poll with 93 points and three first place nods. The Royals won the men's title two years ago snapping Mars Hill's 18-year championship run.
Anderson is third with 80 points, followed by Lincoln Memorial (70) and Wingate (68) to round out the top-five. Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne are tied for sixth place with 51 points each, followed by Carson-Newman (35), Coker (24), Tusculum (23) and Newberry (12).
In the women's poll, Queens is picked to repeat as SAC Champions as the Royals received 99 points and nine first place votes. Queens captured its first-ever SAC Women's Cross Country crown last year as the Royals swept the top-four finishes in the meet.
Wingate is second in the poll with 90 points and one first place vote, while Anderson is third with 84 points, including one first place tally. Catawba is fourth with 69 points, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne (59), Carson-Newman (56), Lincoln Memorial (49), Mars Hill (36), Tusculum (24), Coker (21) and Newberry (14).
The Pioneers will start the 2017 season this Friday when they host the Tusculum Open at the Holston Homes Cross Country Course in Greeneville. The women's race will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the men's meet at 6:40 p.m.
2017 SAC Women's Cross Country Coaches' Poll
|
Rk |
Team (1st Place Votes) |
PTS |
|
1 |
Queens (9) |
99 |
|
2 |
Wingate (1) |
90 |
|
3 |
Anderson (1) |
84 |
|
4 |
Catawba |
69 |
|
5 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
59 |
|
6 |
Carson-Newman |
56 |
|
7 |
Lincoln Memorial |
49 |
|
8 |
Mars Hill |
36 |
|
9 |
TUSCULUM |
24 |
|
10 |
Coker |
21 |
|
11 |
Newberry |
14 |
2017 SAC Men's Cross Country Coaches' Poll
|
Rk |
Team (1st Place Votes) |
PTS |
|
1 |
Mars Hill (8) |
98 |
|
2 |
Queens (3) |
93 |
|
3 |
Anderson |
80 |
|
4 |
Lincoln Memorial |
70 |
|
5 |
Wingate |
68 |
|
6 |
Catawba |
51 |
|
|
Lenoir-Rhyne |
51 |
|
8 |
Carson-Newman |
35 |
|
9 |
Coker |
24 |
|
10 |
TUSCULUM |
23 |
|
11 |
Newberry |
12 |
