Friday, September 10, 2010

MACON, Ga. – After one week of action in the 2010 cross country season, Kennesaw State’s men and Jacksonville’s women remained at the top of the Atlantic Sun Cross Country Coaches’ Polls.

The Owls saw their lead decrease to ten points over USC Upstate despite adding to their overall point total of 115, while Jacksonville’s advantage over UNF decreased by five points after the Ospreys claimed the JU Short Course Duals over the defending A-Sun Champion Dolphins.

Kennesaw State received eight of the 11 first-place votes, while USC Upstate claimed two to put them in second place just ahead of Belmont, who picked up the final first-place vote. The Bruins jumped ahead of ETSU from the preseason poll after an impressive showing at the USC Upstate Eye Opener meet in which they finished in third place just behind the host Spartans.

The women’s side mirrored the men’s poll with the top team, Jacksonville, earning eight of the first-place votes followed by UNF in second place with two votes and USC Upstate in third with the final vote. The Spartans had a strong showing over the weekend at the Eye Opener, finishing second, and in return picked up 13 points in the poll to move to within two points of the Ospreys.

The only other shift in positioning in the men’s poll came from Campbell as the Camels leapfrogged FGCU for eighth place as result of their fifth-place finish at the Eye Opener. Two changes occurred in the women’s poll as Lipscomb passed Kennesaw State for fourth place and Campbell tied FGCU for seventh place.

Four cross country squads are in action this weekend and compete in four different meets. On Friday, Lipscomb and Kennesaw State run in the UT Chattanooga PowerAde XC Invitational, while Mercer competes in the Georgia State Invitational and Campbell treks to Wilmington, N.C. for the UNC Wilmington Seahawk Invitational. The Bisons also run in the Vermont Invitational on Sunday.