NEW ORLEANS - App State men's cross country was picked as co-favorites in the Sun Belt Conference's Preseason Poll, as voted by the league's coaches.
The Mountaineers and Arkansas State shared the top spot with 91 points apiece.
App State earned three out of 10 first-place votes, while South Alabama was picked to finish third with 88 points.
Two All-Sun Belt runners in Isaac Benz (first team) and Ryan Brown (second team) return along with Dwayne Lillie, a top-20 finisher in last season's Sun Belt Championships.
The App State women were chosen to finish second of 12 teams with five first-place votes and 136 points overall. Arkansas State was picked to win the league with 139 points and seven first-place votes. South Alabama rounded out the top three with 115 points.
The Apps finished second in last season's championships. Izzy Evely is back after a First-Team All-Sun Belt showing. Three runners who finished in the top 37 return, as Lila Peters, a Third Team All-Sun Belt honoree is back along with Madison Christy and Taylor Houston.
App State opens the season on Friday in the annual Covered Bridge Open with the women starting at 5 and the men at 5:45 p.m.
2021 SUN BELT CONFERENCE
Men's and women's CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL
MEN'S Preseason Coaches' Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)
Arkansas State (4) - 91
App State (3) - 91
South Alabama (3) - 88
UTA - 68
Texas State - 58
Little Rock - 43
Louisiana - 41
Coastal Carolina - 29
Troy - 25
ULM - 16
WOMEN'S Preseason Coaches' Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)
Arkansas State (7) - 139
App State (5) - 136
South Alabama - 115
Troy - 98
UTA - 90
Texas State - 74
Coastal Carolina - 69
Little Rock - 56
Georgia Southern - 42
ULM - 41
Georgia State - 39
Louisiana - 37
