The South Atlantic Conference Announces Men’s and Women’s Preseason Cross Country Polls

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The Mars Hill men's and the Wingate women's cross country teams were picked to win the 2014 South Atlantic Conference Cross Country titles, the League announced today.  The Lions recorded 10 first-place bids to finish with 120 points, while the Bulldogs' squad picked up 11 top votes and 121 points as member institutions aren't allowed to vote for their own teams.

The Lions have a won a SAC-record 17-straight men's cross country titles and posted four runners in the Top 10 at the 2013 South Atlantic Conference Men's Cross Country Championship.

Queens placed second in the men's poll with two first-place votes and 112 points.  The Royals' Felix Duchampt won the 2013 SAC Men's Cross Country Individual Title as the squad placed second overall.  Duchampt also placed 24^th in the 2013 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship to earn All-America honors.

Anderson posted 95 points to place third in the voting, while Lincoln Memorial and Brevard tied for fourth with 80 points.

The Trojans placed third in last season's SAC XC Championship, while Brevard finished fourth.  The Railsplitters were close behind the Tornados to place fifth overall a season ago.

Continuing the men's poll, Wingate placed sixth in the voting with 78 points and at No. 7 was Lenoir-Rhyne who collected 68 points.  The Bulldogs and the Bears finished last year's SAC Cross Country Championship at No. 6 and No. 7, respectively.

Carson-Newman (42 points), Tusculum (38 points), Coker (28 points), Catawba (27 points) and Newberry (24 points) finished up the men's poll.  Tusculum posted an eighth-place finish at the 2013 SAC Men's Cross Country Championship.

The women of Wingate won the 2013 NCAA Women's Southeast Regional and placed No. 26 at the NCAA Division II National Championship.  At the 2013 South Atlantic Conference Women's Cross Country Championship, the Bulldogs placed five runners in the Top 10 to claim the crown.

Queens finished second in the women's poll with 110 points and in third was Mars Hill with 97 points.  Both schools posted a pair of Top 10 individual finishers in last year's SAC Women's XC Championship.  As a team, the Royals were the 2013 SAC Runner-Up and in third were the Lions.

Anderson came in at No. 4 in the voting with 91 points, ahead of Lenoir-Rhyne who notched 86 points, which matched each school respective finishes in the 2013 SAC Women's Cross Country Championship.

Brevard landed in the No. 6 slot as it received 69 points, followed by Lincoln Memorial with 59 points and Catawba with 44 points.

Carson-Newman (39 points), Tusculum (32 points), Coker (23 points) and Newberry (21 points) rounded out the women's poll.

The 2014 South Atlantic Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country season is set to get underway on Friday, Sept. 5.

2014 Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll

2014 Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll