Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Both Sixth in SoCon Preseason Poll
SoCon Announces Men's & Women's Cross Country Preseason Polls
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's cross country team was picked to finish tied for sixth, while the women were voted sixth in The Southern Conference (SoCon) Preseason Poll, the league announced Wednesday.
ABOUT THE MEN
The Spartan men totaled 39 points and tied with Western Carolina, as Furman was selected to take home its 12th-straight title receiving 81 points with nine first-place votes.
Last season, the men posted a second-place mark at the Queen City Invite to start the season.
Senior Ethan Long led the way for the Spartans at the 2023 SoCon Championships earning All-Conference second team honors and finishing ninth overall. Junior Luke Ward was the next Spartan across the finish line, placing 25th overall.
Ward competed in his second NCAA Regional, placing 127th overall, besting his mark from 2022.
The men return 14 from last year's roster and have added five newcomers.
ABOUT THE WOMEN
The Spartan women tallied 39 points, as the Paladins women's squad was also voted to take home their 12th-straight title after receiving 81 points and nine first-place votes.
Last season, the women posted a third-place finish at both the Queen City Invite and the Winthrop/Adidas Invitational. The squad placed 30th out of 34 teams at the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships.
The women return eight from last year's roster and added four freshmen.
2024 SoCon Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
| 1. Furman | 81 (9) |
| 2. ETSU | 72 (1) |
| 3. Mercer | 60 |
| 4. Chattanooga | 56 |
| 5. Samford | 52 |
| T6. UNCG | 39 |
| T6. WCU | 39 |
| 8. VMI | 24 |
| 9. The Citadel | 16 |
| 10. Wofford | 11 |
2024 SoCon Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
| 1. Furman | 81 (9) |
| 2. Samford | 71 (1) |
| 3. Chattanooga | 61 |
| 4. ETSU | 57 |
| 5. Mercer | 52 |
| 6. UNCG | 39 |
| 7. WCU | 33 |
| 8. Wofford | 31 |
| 9. VMI | 18 |
| 10. The Citadel | 9 |
UP NEXT
Both the men's and women's Spartan squads will begin the 2024 cross country season with a dual meet against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Friday, August 30.
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