UTA men, Appalachian State women picked to repeat as cross country champions
NEW ORLEANS – Both defending Sun Belt champions, the UTA men and Appalachian State women, were picked to repeat as conference champions in the preseason cross country polls announced on Thursday.
 
The polls are a result of a vote of the league’s 10 men’s cross country and 12 women’s cross country head coaches.
 
UTA aims for a third consecutive men’s cross country conference title this season, and its fourth in the past five years. The Mavericks earned nine first-place votes with the other first-place vote going to Louisiana.
 
Appalachian State won its first ever Sun Belt women’s cross country title last year. The Mountaineers garnered eight first-place votes while Coastal Carolina earned the other four.
 
Appalachian State and UTA were the only schools to finish inside the top four of both the men’s and women’s polls.
 
The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championships are set for Saturday, Oct. 28 and will be hosted by Appalachian State University.
 

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Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll

1. UTA (9) – 99 points
2. Louisiana (1) – 89 points
3. Texas State – 71 points
4. Appalachian State – 67 points
5. South Alabama – 59 points
6. Arkansas State – 52 points
7. Little Rock – 36 points
8. Coastal Carolina – 33 points
9. Troy – 26 points
10. ULM – 16 points

 
Women’s Cross Country Preseason Poll

1. Appalachian State (8) – 140 points
2. Coastal Carolina (4) – 122 points
3. UTA – 106 points
4. South Alabama – 100 points
5. Arkansas State – 89 points
6. Georgia State – 85 points
7. Texas State – 75 points
8. Louisiana – 61 points
9. Georgia Southern – 56 points
10. Troy – 40 points
11. Little Rock – 37 points
12. ULM – 23 points