Atlantic Sun Releases Preseason Cross Country Poll
August 20, 2007 | Cross Country
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – A year after the Gardner-Webb men's cross country team finished fourth and the women seventh on their home course at the A-Sun Championships, the Bulldog men were picked to again place fourth at the conference meet while the women were selected seventh, as announced by the A-Sun office.
The men's team, which returns all-conference performers Josh
Hudson and Lucas McAneney, The duo, along with a solid supporting
cast of upperclassmen in addition to some talented newcomers should
again push for the A-Sun title in its final year in the league.
Belmont, which won the title last year, received all 12 first-place votes and 144 total points. Kennesaw State was second with 126 points while ETSU was third with 123. The Bulldogs received 102 points, just ahead of fifth-place UNF that garnered 96 points.
Campbell, Lipscomb and Mercer were picked sixth through eighth, respectively. Newcomers Florida Gulf Coast and USC Upstate were selected ninth and 10th while Stetson and Jacksonville rounded out the conference voting.
On the women's side, Gardner-Webb received 64 total points in seventh place. The Bulldogs lost two solid seniors from a year ago in Katherine Warden and Michele Milner. Warden earned all-conference honors with her 10th-place effort at the conference meet in 2006.
The women's team is extremely talented, yet a little inexperienced as much of their roster is derived from underclassmen. The ones who do have experience have not had to be the No. 1 runner at the collegiate level to this point. With juniors Beth Long, Carrie Minard, Rebecca Silleman and Bree Tharpe, in addition to sophomore Abby Callahan and a few solid freshmen, the group could be as deep as it has been since moving to Division I.
However, if the team can find one or two members to step up and be the front-runner, the Bulldogs could make a push to finish in the top tier of the league in 2007.
Belmont was selected first with 11 first-place votes and 143 total points. The one other first-place vote went to UNF, which tallied 126 points. Kennesaw State, Jacksonville, Campbell and Lipscomb preceded GWU.
Mercer was chosen behind the Bulldogs with 49 total points while ETSU was ninth with 48 points. Newcomers USC Upstate and Florida Gulf Coast were 10th and 11th, respectively, while Stetson rounded out the field with 23 points.
GWU opens its season on Aug. 31 at the Western Carolina
Invitational in Cullowhee, N.C.
