Covenant College, under the direction of Head Coach Katie Stanford, in her fourth season, was picked in the USA South Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll to capture the men's cross country title in 2014. The Scots earned their first USA South title at last year's championship meet. Covenant received four of eighth first place votes to go along with 46 points. Head coaches do not vote for their own teams in the balloting.
Maryville College finished second in the balloting with 43 points and one first place vote while Piedmont College placed third with 38 points and the final remaining first place vote.
Methodist University came in fourth place with 32 points as Averett University was fifth with 25 points. LaGrange College, Ferrum College and William Peace University concluded the poll with 20, 12 and eight points, respectively.
The men's cross country season gets underway on Friday, Aug., as Covenant, Maryville and Piedmont are in action.
Meredith College, under the direction of 10th-year Head Coach Amy Olsen, was picked in the USA South Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll to capture the women's cross country title in 2014, while Covenant College was picked second.
Last season, the Avenging Angels took home the program's first Conference championship. Meredith received 10 of 11 possible first place votes, to go along with 100 points. Head coaches do not vote for their own teams in the balloting.
The 2014 season marks the reinstatement of the N.C. Wesleyan College women's cross country program after a three-year hiatus.
Covenant had 87 points and the final remaining first place vote. Maryville College placed third with 75 points while Mary Baldwin College ranked fourth with 69 points. Piedmont College, in fifth place, and Methodist University, in sixth place, rounded out the top-half of the poll with 67 and 66 points, respectively.
The women's cross country season gets underway on Friday, Aug., as Covenant, Maryville, Meredith and Piedmont are in action.
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2014 USA South Men's Cross Country Coaches Preseason Poll
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Rank
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Institution (1st Place Votes)
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Pts.
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1.
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Covenant (4)
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46
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2.
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Maryville (3)
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43
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3.
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Piedmont (1)
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38
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4.
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Methodist
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32
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5.
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Averett
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25
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6.
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LaGrange
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20
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7.
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Ferrum
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12
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8.
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William Peace
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8
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2014 USA South Women's Cross Country Coaches Preseason Poll
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Rank
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Institution (1st Place Votes)
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Pts.
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1.
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Meredith (10)
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100
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2.
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Covenant (1)
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87
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3.
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Maryville
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75
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4.
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Mary Baldwin
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69
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5.
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Piedmont
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67
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6.
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Methodist
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66
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7.
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Averett
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43
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8.
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LaGrange
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38
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9.
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Ferrum
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25
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10.
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N.C. Wesleyan
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22
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11.
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William Peace
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13
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