MEN 4TH, WOMEN 6TH IN BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLLS
8/17/2017 3:00:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Cross Country
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Radford men's cross country team has been tabbed to finish fourth while the women's squad was projected to finish sixth in the 2017 Big South preseason poll, the conference announced Thursday afternoon.
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Following a final points tally based on the voting of the league's head coaches, the Highlander men totaled 71 points including four third-place votes, trailing only High Point (73), Liberty (91) and Campbell (99) who was chosen as the favorite with nine first-place votes. Teams below Radford on the poll include Winthrop (58), UNC Asheville (49), Charleston Southern (40), Gardner-Webb (29), Longwood (20) and Presbyterian (20).
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On the women's side, the Highlanders collected 52 points including three votes for fifth. Liberty (97) took home eight first-place votes to be selected as the favorite's this upcoming season with High Point (89), Campbell (83), Winthrop (65) and UNC Asheville (61) coming in behind the Flames. Rounding out the poll following Radford was Charleston Southern (30), Gardner-Webb (30), Presbyterian (26) and Longwood (17).
"After reviewing the newly released 2017 rosters of our Big South Conference competitors, I expect the majority of teams to show improvement in average finish time from their 2016 results," noted Radford Cross Country Head Coach Eric Thatcher. "Even with the increased competition, our goal will be to finish higher than the pre-season polls suggest. I'm looking forward to enjoying the process of seeing our athletes step up to this level of competition."
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In 2016, the Radford men's and women's cross country teams placed third and sixth at the Big South Championships respectively.
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The 2017 season kicks off on Friday, Sept. 1st down the road in Blacksburg with the Hokie Invitational. Liberty will host this year's Big South Championship in Lynchburg, Va.
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For the latest on Radford Athletics, please subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Highlander Happenings.
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Following a final points tally based on the voting of the league's head coaches, the Highlander men totaled 71 points including four third-place votes, trailing only High Point (73), Liberty (91) and Campbell (99) who was chosen as the favorite with nine first-place votes. Teams below Radford on the poll include Winthrop (58), UNC Asheville (49), Charleston Southern (40), Gardner-Webb (29), Longwood (20) and Presbyterian (20).
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On the women's side, the Highlanders collected 52 points including three votes for fifth. Liberty (97) took home eight first-place votes to be selected as the favorite's this upcoming season with High Point (89), Campbell (83), Winthrop (65) and UNC Asheville (61) coming in behind the Flames. Rounding out the poll following Radford was Charleston Southern (30), Gardner-Webb (30), Presbyterian (26) and Longwood (17).
"After reviewing the newly released 2017 rosters of our Big South Conference competitors, I expect the majority of teams to show improvement in average finish time from their 2016 results," noted Radford Cross Country Head Coach Eric Thatcher. "Even with the increased competition, our goal will be to finish higher than the pre-season polls suggest. I'm looking forward to enjoying the process of seeing our athletes step up to this level of competition."
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In 2016, the Radford men's and women's cross country teams placed third and sixth at the Big South Championships respectively.
Â
The 2017 season kicks off on Friday, Sept. 1st down the road in Blacksburg with the Hokie Invitational. Liberty will host this year's Big South Championship in Lynchburg, Va.
Â
For the latest on Radford Athletics, please subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Highlander Happenings.
Â
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