UNCP Women's Cross Country Nabs First Place Vote in Preseason Poll

AUGUSTA, Ga. – In a poll voted on by the Peach Belt Conference’s head coaches Tuesday afternoon, the UNCP women’s cross country team was picked to finish sixth this season out of the PBC’s eleven teams while earning one first place vote from the conference. The UNCP men’s cross country team was also picked to finish sixth out of the conference’s eight teams.

The Lady Braves brought in a total of 54 votes in the coaches poll, falling only six points behind fifth place Clayton State, while holding off seventh place USC Aiken by six points. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.

First place went to Columbus State whose Lady Cougars picked up seven of a possible nine first-place votes to lock down the poll’s top spot for the third consecutive year.  The remaining first place votes went to Augusta State and UNC Pembroke.

The CSU women won their fourth consecutive PBC Championship in 2008 and seek to become only the second PBC program ever to win five-straight titles. The Lady Cougars will have to do without three first-team all-conference runners from a year ago, but do return all-conference talents Brittany Skiles and Ashley Arnold.

For men, Columbus State was the unanimous choice to repeat as PBC Champions, garnering every first-place vote they were eligible for, leading the preseason poll with 49 points, six ahead of second-place Clayton State. GCSU was ranked third with North Georgia in fourth.

The 2009 season will have a different look as the PBC welcomes Flagler and Montevallo. Flagler played as an independent last season while Montevallo finished second in the Gulf South Conference with a 11-6-3 overall record. Also joining the PBC is new Georgia Southwestern head coach Tony Economopoulos.

The 2009 season begins on Aug. 27 with conference play beginning Sept. 12. The PBC Tournament will begin with first-round games on home sites on Nov. 3 with the final four returning to Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, Ga., Nov. 6 and 8.

WOMEN
Rank, Team, Pts. (First Place Votes In Parentheses)
1. Columbus State, 93 (7)
2. Augusta State, 90 (3)
3. GCSU, 68
4. North Georgia, 63
5. Clayton State, 60
6. UNC Pembroke, 54 (1)
7. USC Aiken, 48
8. Montevallo, 45
9. Flagler, 32
10. Francis Marion, 32
11. Georgia Southwestern, 20

MEN
Rank, Team, Pts. (First Place Votes In Parentheses)
1. Columbus State, 49 (7)
2. Clayton State, 43 (1)
3. GCSU, 36
4. North Georgia, 28
5. Francis Marion, 24
6. UNC Pembroke, 20
7. Flagler, 17
8. Armstrong Atlantic, 7