MACON, Ga.- Building on its preseason accolades, Belmont's men's and women's cross country teams remained the top squads in the Atlantic Sun Conference, the conference office announced on Tuesday. In the preseason poll, Belmont received 23 of the combined 24 votes; in this week's poll, the Bruins have secured all 24 first-place votes.
Both of Belmont's teams have received national recognition. Each rank in the top 10 in the South Region in the first Division I Cross Country regional polls released on Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The men ranked fourth; the women ranked ninth.
The Bruins have competed in one race this year, hosting the Belmont Opener on August 31. The men cruised to a 61-point victory, placing four of the top six and six of the top 11. At the same race, the women finished third, falling to instate rivals Tennessee and Vanderbilt, two top-five teams in the South region.
Both polls have a new number two squad. ETSU surpassed Kennesaw State in the men's poll. In the women's side, the Owls leapfrogged over UNF. ETSU's men turned in a third-place team finish at the Virginia Tech Invitational on Friday. The Owls' women's team has won their two meets this season. Erin Sutton has won the individual crown at both events. Campbell moved up to fourth in the women's poll after winning the Campbell Cross Country Invitational on September 1.
The biggest mover from the preseason poll was the Florida Gulf Coast women's team. Picked 11th in the preseason, the Eagles have moved up to eighth on the strength of a seventh place finish at the Gator Invitational on Friday.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.