University of Tennessee Athletics
SEC Releases XC Preseason Polls
August 16, 2012 | Track & Field
Aug. 16, 2012
SEC Preseason Cross Country Polls
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference released its 2012 Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Polls on Thursday. In a vote by the league skippers, the Tennessee men have been predicted to finish eighth, while the Lady Vols are projected to place ninth at the SEC Championship meet.
The Vols, who finished fifth at last season’s league championship, tallied 87 points in the now 13-team league. Arkansas will once again carry the favorite label, earning nine first-place votes for a total of 15 points. The Razorbacks claimed their 19th SEC title in the last 21 years in 2011 and finished third at the NCAA South Central Regional.
Florida follows in second place with one first-place vote and 28 total points, while league newcomer Texas A&M grabbed three first-place votes and 31 total points for a projected third-place finish. Georgia (44 points) and Kentucky (65 points) round out the top five for the men, respectively.
The Lady Vols, who finished seventh at last season’s conference championship, were selected ninth in the poll with 107 total points. The Vanderbilt women were picked to win with eight first-place votes and a total of 21 points. The Commodores captured their first league championships last fall, finished as the runners-up at the NCAA South Regional and posted a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Arkansas was predicted to finish second in the women’s poll, earning three first-place votes, while Florida, which was picked to place third, also garnered three first-place votes. Texas A&M (54 points) and Georgia (68 points) round out the top five for the women, respectively.
Points for the men’s poll were awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 basis while the women’s poll was awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13 basis. The 2012 SEC Cross Country Championships are slated to take pace Friday, Oct. 26 at Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tenn.
J.J. Clark’s Vols and Lady Vols begin the upcoming campaign in Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 31, as they take part in the Belmont-Vanderbilt Opener at the site of the league championships.
For the most up-to-date information about the Tennessee cross country programs, visit www.UTSports.com and follow @Vol_Track on Twitter.
