NEW ORLEANS - The App State men's and women's cross country teams were selected first in their respective Sun Belt Cross Country Preseason Coaches Polls, the league announced on Friday. Both the men's and women's teams will be defending their 2024 Sun Belt titles this fall.
On the prowl for their third consecutive team title, the men's squad is projected to finish first, earning 79 votes and seven first-place votes. The men were also picked first in the 2024 SBC Preseason Coaches Poll. The women's team earned 165 points and 10 first-place votes this year, and are looking to secure back-to-back team titles.
"I'm looking forward to the season beginning," said men's distance coach
Brad Herbster. "I feel like we have a strong squad and one that can represent App State proudly."
The App State men return six from their championship squad this season, including front-runner
Ethan Lipham. Lipham set pace for the Mountaineers at the 2024 SBC Championships, finishing fourth with an 8K time of 24:40.6. Redshirt senior
Chase Burrell, and sophomores
Henry Stark and
Thomas Wlazlowski, return with Lipham for the 2025 season. Burrell, Stark and Wlazlowski finished among the top 10 at last year's championships, earning all-conference accolades. Additionally, Stark was named the SBC Men's Cross Country Freshman of the Year as the first freshman to cross the finish line. Last fall, the Mountaineers secured their second consecutive title with 30 points, two points more than their 2023 score of 28. Herbster also earned his second Sun Belt Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year honor in as many years.
"We have a young team with an exceptional incoming class adding to the experience of the returning roster," said women's distance coach
Annie Richards. "The work we put in between now and the championship season is our focus, and the team is confident, willing to work hard and not taking anything for granted."
The Mountaineer women clinched their first team title since 2018 last year with a score of 45, which was 61 points less than runner-up Arkansas State, who scored 106 points. Returning from last season's championship squad for the 2025 season are sophomore
Breanna Budzinski and junior
Rhys Ammon. Budzinski, who clocked a 5K time of 18:16.15 to finish 16th overall, earned SBC Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Year honors for her performance. Ammon stopped the clock at 18:21.56 to round out the top 20. Richards also collected her first Sun Belt Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year honor last fall.
App State will host two meets at the Don Kennedy Trails at State Farm in Boone this year. The Black and Gold will open the 2025 campaign with the Covered Bridge Open on Aug. 28. The women's 5K is slated for 9:15 a.m. with the men's 8K to follow at 9:45 p.m. On Oct. 3, the Mountaineers will host the Firetower Project Run.
The Sun Belt Cross Country Championships are slated for Oct. 31 in Foley, Ala.
2025 Sun Belt Conference Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
1. App State (7) – 79
2. Arkansas State (2) – 72
3. Texas State – 54
4. South Alabama – 53
5. Marshall – 40
6. Louisiana – 36
7. ULM – 32
8. Coastal Carolina – 26
9. Troy – 13
2025 Sun Belt Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
1. App State (10) – 165
2. Arkansas State (2) – 147
3. Marshall – 139
4. Texas State - 120
5. Louisiana – 113
6. Coastal Carolina – 107
7. James Madison – 94
8. Southern Miss (1) – 87
9. South Alabama – 68
10. Troy – 50
11. ULM – 43
12. Georgia Southern – 35
13. Georgia State – 15
