Guilford Ranked Sixth in Both ODAC Cross Country Polls
Greensboro, N.C. (8/25/09) -- Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) cross country coaches tabbed Guilford College's men's and women's teams sixth in their annual preseason polls, released Monday afternoon. Washington and Lee University, the defending league champion, earned the top spot in the women's poll's. Lynchburg College, which won last year's men's ODAC cross country crown, was picked first in the men's poll.
The Quakers' men return two letter winners from last year's team, which placed seventh among 10 teams at the 2008 ODAC Championships. Guilford looks forward to the return of sophomore Palmer Hicks, the Quakers' top runner in the last six races of 2008. His time of 27:54.7 at last year's ODAC Championships is the fourth-fastest in school history. Senior captain Tyler Brown is Guilford's most experienced runner with participation in 23 career races.
Guilford's women have six letter winners back from 2008, including junior Grace Normann. Normann had the Quakers' top time in six of seven meets last year, including the fastest six-kilometer time in school history (24:50.75), which came in the ODAC Championships. Guilford finished sixth among nine teams at last year's meet, its best finish since adding the sport in 2004. Seniors Rachel Dede and Dana Small also return.
Guilford opens the season Sept. 5 at the Washington and Lee
Invitational in Lexington, Va. The Quakers will host a school-record three
meets this fall on its Meadows Course in the northwest section of
Guilford's campus, including the NCAA Division III South/Southeast Regional
Championships Nov. 14.
2009 Cross Country Coaches Polls
Men's Poll |
Women's Poll |
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| (First-place votes in parentheses) 1. Lynchburg (6) 2. Washington and Lee (2) 3. Virginia Wesleyan (2) 4. Roanoke 5. Bridgewater 6. Guilford 7. Hampden-Sydney 8. Emory & Henry 9. Eastern Mennonite 10. Randolph |
94 86 83 68 65 46 42 27 25 14 |
(First-place votes in parentheses) 8. Emory & Henry |
78 69 67 53 44 38 21 18 17 |
|