ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The South Atlantic Conference has announced its preseason coaches polls and Runners to Watch list for the 2023 cross country season.
The Tusculum men are picked to finish ninth while the Pioneer women were chosen seventh in their poll, which were voted on by the league's 13 head coaches.
The SAC Championship meet will be held on Saturday, October 21 at Southside Park in Newton, North Carolina.
MEN'S POLL
The Pioneers took ninth in last year's SAC Championship meet and will return two of their top three finishers from the conference championship in senior Antonio Aparicio and sophomore Jerry Ricker.
The Runner to Watch for the Pioneers will be freshman Pau Valdepenas, who comes to Tusculum from Sant Cugat Sesgarrigues, Spain.
Wingate, which won the SAC and Southeast Region championship for the second straight year in 2022 and finished second at nationals, is the favorite in the coaches poll with 12 first-place votes and 144 points. Catawba is second with 130 points and Anderson places third with 125 points. Lenoir-Rhyne (110 points) is fourth, followed by Carson-Newman (98) and Lincoln Memorial (91).
Limestone checks in seventh with 75 points, with Emory & Henry (60 points) in sixth and Tusculum at ninth with 57 points. UVA Wise (42 points) is tenth, with Mars Hill (33), Newberry (32) and Coker (17) rounding out the poll.
WOMEN'S POLL
The Pioneers took seventh place at last year's SAC Championship meet and have three of their top four finishers back in the lineup for this season, including Runner to Watch Emily Coddington (Acosta, Pa.), who was 29th at last year's SAC Championship with a time of 24:29.1.
Wingate earned the top spot in the preseason poll by the coaches after winning last year's SAC and Southeast Region championships, earning 12 first-place votes and 144 points. Catawba is second with 128 points, trailed by Anderson in third (127) and Lenoir-Rhyne fourth with 110 points. Lincoln Memorial (99 points) is fifth, with Carson-Newman (90) in sixth and Tusculum (69) in seventh.
The rest of the rankings begins with UVA Wise (63 points) in eighth, followed by Coker (50 points) and Newberry (48). Limestone (40 points) is 11th, trailed by Mars Hill (28) and Emory & Henry (18).
2023 SAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
|
Rk |
School (1st) |
Score |
|
1. |
Wingate (12) |
144 |
|
2. |
Catawba (1) |
130 |
|
3. |
Anderson |
125 |
|
4. |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
110 |
|
5. |
Carson-Newman |
98 |
|
6. |
Lincoln Memorial |
91 |
|
7. |
Limestone |
75 |
|
8. |
Emory & Henry |
60 |
|
9. |
Tusculum |
57 |
|
10. |
UVA Wise |
42 |
|
11. |
Mars Hill |
33 |
|
12. |
Newberry |
32 |
|
13. |
Coker |
17 |
2023 SAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
|
Rk |
School (1st) |
Score |
|
1. |
Wingate (12) |
144 |
|
2. |
Catawba (1) |
128 |
|
3. |
Anderson |
127 |
|
4. |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
110 |
|
5. |
Lincoln Memorial |
99 |
|
6. |
Carson-Newman |
90 |
|
7. |
Tusculum |
69 |
|
8. |
UVA Wise |
63 |
|
9. |
Coker |
50 |
|
10. |
Newberry |
48 |
|
11. |
Limestone |
40 |
|
12. |
Mars Hill |
28 |
|
13. |
Emory & Henry |
18 |