Belmont Women's Cross Country Selected Sixth In Atlantic Sun Coaches' Poll
MACON, Ga. - - The Belmont University women's cross country team has been selected to finish sixth in the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2010, as picked by the league's coaches in the annual pre-season poll, released Wednesday. Last season, the squad took fifth place at the conference championships.
The Bruins, who have won the Atlantic Sun Championship six out of the past eight seasons, are looking to return to the top of the conference for the first time since 2008. Although BU graduated two-time A-Sun individual champion Brittany Thune, the Bruins future looks bright behind the leadership of an array of top returning student-athletes.
Head Coach Seth Sheridan will look for juniors Caitlin Standifer and Kara Sephel, as well as sophomores Nicole Muldowney, Courtney Bishop and Shannon Titus to lead the way in 2010. Standifer is the top returning runner from last year's A-Sun Championship. She was second for the Bruins and 15th overall a season ago.
Jacksonville, last season's Atlantic Sun Champion, returned to the top spot in this season's pre-season poll. The Dolphins received nine out of eleven first place votes and 116 total points. North Florida grabbed the second spot with 98 points, while USC Upstate and Kennesaw State tied for third with 89 points. Lipscomb, the only other team to garner a first place nod with two, placed fifth with 83 points. The Bruins were next with 78 points to take the sixth spot in the poll.
Florida Gulf Coast (50) took the seventh spot in the poll, while Campbell and Mercer tied for eighth, tallying 43 points. ETSU and Stetson rounded out the 11 team poll with 25 and 12 points, respectively.
Belmont opens the season at the Belmont-Vanderbilt opener on September 3. The event will take place Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tenn. This season's A-Sun Championship Meet will be held at USC Upstate, taking place on October 30.
Atlantic Sun Preseason Poll
Pl.
School
(1st)
Points
1.
Jacksonville
(9)
116
2.
North
Florida
98
3.
USC
Upstate
89
Kennesaw
State
89
5.
Lipscomb
(2)
83
6.
Belmont
78
7.
Florida Gulf
Coast
50
8.
Campbell
43
Mercer
43
10.
ETSU
25
11.
Stetson
12
