ROCK HILL, S.C. – Following third-place finishes at each of the last three South Atlantic Conference Championships, the Anderson women's cross country team has been predicted to finish third in the 2017 SAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, as released by the league office Wednesday morning.
The coaches' poll nearly mirrored the results from the 2016 SAC Championship, with Lenoir-Rhyne and Carson-Newman flipping between the fifth and sixth slots, while Coker and Newberry were reversed in the final two spots.
Queens was tabbed to defend its conference title after knocking off three-time defending champion Wingate last season. The Royals won their first-ever SAC Championship during the 2016 season as it swept the top four finishes in the race.
QUC received nine first-place votes and 99 points from the head coaches as member institutions aren't allowed to vote for their own teams, while Wingate placed second in the poll with 90 points and one top vote, followed by Anderson with one first-place vote and 84 points.
At No. 4 in the poll was Catawba with 69 points and Lenoir-Rhyne rounded out the top five with 59 points. Catawba finished fourth in the SAC Women's Cross Country Championship a season ago, while the Bears turned in a sixth-place finish last season. Carson-Newman collected 56 points in the poll to pace at No. 6 in the preseason poll as it finished fifth last year at the SAC Championships.
The Lady Railsplitters of Lincoln Memorial garnered 49 points from the panel to come in at No. 7 in the poll, ahead of Mars Hill, who grabbed 36 points.
Tusculum landed at the No. 9 spot with 24 points, while Coker (21 points) and Newberry (14 points) rounded out the poll.
The Trojans claimed back-to-back conference titles in 2010 and 2011 – their first two seasons in the league – and have placed no lower than fourth in their seven SAC Championship appearances.
Buoyed by 11 returning letterwinners, including eight upperclassmen and three all-conference performers from a year ago, first-year head coach Kevin Eagle is looking for the Black and Gold to remain in the upper echelon of the conference standings.
Senior standout Haylee Love earned Second-Team All-South Atlantic Conference honors last season in both cross country and track, while capturing All-Southeast Region recognition in cross country and became the first AU runner to qualify for the NCAA National Championships since 2011.
The junior duo of Abigail Bozarth and Maddie Buddenberg each collected Honorable Mention All-SAC accolades last season after finishing 16th and 17th, respectively at the 2016 SAC Championships.
The deep Trojan lineup has been further bolstered by the arrival of junior Allyson Malone, a two-time All-Conference Carolinas honoree, who transferred from Limestone. Another newcomer, true freshman Olivia Evans was considered to be one of the top prep runners in the Palmetto State after claiming back-to-back National Association of Christian Athletes (NACA) Championships as a junior and senior and garnering NACA All-America recognition.
Anderson will get the season underway Friday at the USC Upstate Eye Opener. The women's race is slated to get underway at 6:30 p.m., while the men are scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m.
2017 SAC Preseason Women's Cross Country Coaches' Poll
School (1st Place Votes) Points
1. Queens (9) 99
2. Wingate (1) 90
3. Anderson (1) 84
4. Catawba 69
5. Lenoir-Rhyne 59
6. Carson-Newman 56
7. Lincoln Memorial 49
8. Mars Hill 36
9. Tusculum 24
10. Coker 21
11. Newberry 14
