FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — The USA South Preseason Coaches Poll has been released with the Piedmont College men's cross country team selected to finish second overall while the women's team was picked fifth in the league.
The Lions earned a total of 42 points overall as well as three first place votes while the Lady Lions earned 63 points in the poll. The preseason favorite for the men was Covenant College while Meredith College was the favorite to take the women's title.
Covenant College took the top spot on the men's side with four first place votes and a total of 46 points after capturing their second straight men's title in 2014. The Lions were on the Scots' heels with three of the remaining four first place votes available and took second by a mere four points. Coming in third was Maryville College who took the final first place vote and earned a total of 39 points in the poll.
The Lions finished second in the league last season with a pair of individuals inside the top seven including returner CODY PARKER who finished fourth overall in the conference. Coming in eighth overall was fellow returner CORY MCCLUNG while teammate ESTEBAN SALAZAR was ninth in the league. Coupled with the strong set of returners, the Lions have added six freshman into the mix.
Rounding out the top five were Methodist in fourth place with 32 points and Averett who earned fifth place with 24 points. LaGrange College, William Peace University and Ferrum College concluded the poll with 21, 13 and seven points, respectively.
Meredith College, the two-time defending champions in the league, were the preseason favorite on the women's side with 99 points overall and taking nine of the available 11 first place votes. Coming in second with 90 points and the remaining two first place votes was Covenant College while Maryville was third with 82 points.
Taking the fourth spot and the final team coming in above the Lady Lions was Mary Baldwin College earning 64 points, just one point ahead of Piedmont. The Lady Lions finished fifth marking the third straight season they have been in the top five in the preseason ranking.
The Lady Lions finished fifth in the USA South last season with a pair of runners finishing inside the top 10 as CARRIE RUIS finished sixth and ASHLEY BRUNNER was eighth. This season, Piedmont brings a fresh slate of competitors with five newcomers on the roster including transfer REESE BOWLES who set her personal best at the NJCAA Cross Country Championships a season ago.
Coming in sixth in the poll was Methodist University with 54 points followed by Averett in seventh earning 41 points. The final four spots belong to LaGrange (39 points), N.C. Wesleyan (28 points), Ferrum (27 points) and William Peace (18 points).
Both the Lions and Lady Lions will be in action beginning on Saturday, September 5 as they travel to Cullowhee, North Carolina for the season opener at the Western Carolina Invitational. The men will be competing in a 5K at 9:00 a.m. while the women will race a 2-mile at 9:30 a.m.
The USA South Cross Country Championship will be held at Hagan Stone Park in Greensboro, North Carolina on Saturday, October 31. The women's 6,000 meter race will begin at 11:00 a.m. while the men's 8,000 meter race will begin at noon.
2015 USA South Men's Cross Country Coaches Preseason Poll
Rank Institution (1st Place Votes) Pts.
1. Covenant (4) 46
2. Piedmont (3) 42
3. Maryville (1) 39
4. Methodist 32
5. Averett 24
6. LaGrange 21
7. William Peace 13
8. Ferrum 7
2015 USA South Women's Cross Country Coaches Preseason Poll
Rank Institution (1st Place Votes) Pts.
1. Meredith (9) 99
2. Covenant (2) 90
3. Maryville 82
4. Mary Baldwin 64
5. Piedmont 63
6. Methodist 54
7. Averett 41
8. LaGrange 39
9. N.C. Wesleyan 28
10. Ferrum 27
11. William Peace 18
