NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Sun Belt released the 2024 Men's and Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Polls on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. The App State men's team is projected to finish first and defend their 2023 title, earning 80 points and eight first-place votes. The women's squad is projected to finish fourth, earning 127 points.
The Mountaineer men clinched their first Sun Belt title since 2019 last season, totaling 28 points, which is the lowest total at the championship meet since 2013. App State recorded four of the top six finishes and five of the top 13, outpacing last year's coaches poll favorite, Arkansas State, by 19 team points. In his first season as the men's distance coach,
Brad Herbster was named SBC Coach of the Year for the Mountaineers' success.
Oliver Wilson-Cook, who was a three-time SBC Runner of the Week last fall, placed second overall with an 8K time of 24:40.4, while
Calbert Guest and
Dwayne Lillie, who both return this season, secured third (24:46.3) and fourth (24:53.6) respectively. The trio garnered first-team All-SBC honors for their performances. Also returning this season is
Garrett Bivens, who placed sixth at the championship with an 8K time of 25:05.0 to earn second-team all-conference honors.
Jonah Bird collected third-team all-conference recognition, rounding out the Mountaineers' scoring five with a time of 25:42.7 to place 13th overall.
On the women's side, App State finished fifth in the team standings at the SBC Championships for a second consecutive year with 125 points. Leading the Mountaineers was
Jasmine Donohue, who clocked a personal best 5K time of 17:36.9 to place eighth and earn second-team All-SBC honors. Returning with Donohue this year will be
Karsyn Kane, who placed 18th with a time of 18:28.1, as well as
Rhys Ammon, who rounded out the top-25 with a time of 18:38.8 at the championship meet.
App State will host three home meets at the Don Kennedy Trails at State Farm this season, starting on Aug. 30, with the Covered Bridge Open. Competition at the Covered Bridge Open will start at 10 a.m. with the women's 5K, followed by the men's 6K at 10:40 a.m. The Mountaineers will also host the Firetower Project Run on Sept. 13 and the Mountaineer Feud on Oct. 18.
The 2024 Sun Belt Cross Country Championships are slated for Nov. 1 in Foley, Ala.
2024 Sun Belt Conference Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. App State (8) – 80 points
2. Arkansas State (1) – 73 points
3. South Alabama – 52 points
T4. Texas State – 50 points
T4. ULM – 50 points
6. Marshall – 35 points
7. Louisiana – 33 points
8. Coastal Carolina – 21 points
9. Troy – 11 points
2024 Sun Belt Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Arkansas State (10) – 162 points
2. James Madison (2) – 151 points
3. Marshall – 138 points
4. App State – 127 points
5. Coastal Carolina (1) – 126 points
6. South Alabama – 96 points
7. Southern Miss – 86 points
T8. Louisiana – 78 points
T8. Texas State – 78 points
10. ULM – 58 points
11. Georgia Southern – 40 points
12. Georgia State – 24 points
13. Troy – 19 points
