Date Posted: 8/20/2008

MACON, Ga. – Since joining the Atlantic Sun in 2001 both the Belmont men and women have won six of seven cross country titles. The league coaches again installed both Bruins teams as the favorites for 2008, the conference office announced on Wednesday.

Kipkosgei Magut, Belmont’s senior and two-time defending champion in the men’s race, will lead the men as they attempt to win their seventh straight league title. Magut can join Georgia State’s Andrew Letherby and Troy’s Michael Green as the only three in league history to win three league meets. Joining Magut among Belmont returning runners include 2007 Freshman of the Year Hillary Cheruiyot, Ben McGlothlin and Will Peters.

The Bruins women’s team replaces 2007 individual champion Lauren Weaver plus two additional runners from its top five. Brittany Thune, third at the 2007 A-Sun Championship will be asked to lead the squad that includes five incoming freshmen and two red-shirt freshman.

In the 2007 preseason poll, the Bruins combined to earn 23 of the 24 first-place votes. The voting margin closed considerably this year as the 2007 runner-ups, Kennesaw State’s women and ETSU’s men each received four first-place votes.

The Owls’ women’s squad returns its entire team headlined by a pair of All-Atlantic Sun runners in Erin Sutton and Mackenzie Howe. Both finished in the top eight of the 2007 A-Sun Championship and both picked up two Runner of the Week awards last fall.

After Kennesaw State, UNF edged out Jacksonville for the third choice among the coaches on the women’s side despite losing four runners while Jacksonville returned four of its top five. The Dolphins did receive the lone first-place vote not claimed by Belmont or Kennesaw State.

Lipscomb edged out Campbell for fifth in the women’s poll followed by Mercer and ETSU sharing seventh. Florida Gulf Coast placed ninth with USC Upstate and reigning Freshman of the Year Emily Tangwar landing tenth and Stetson rounding out the poll.

At the 2007 A-Sun Championship, the Buccaneer men’s team finished runner-up to Belmont for the second time in three years. They will attempt to break the Belmont dynasty with a strong team that returns their top three runners from the league meet (Jeff Crane, Michael Deren and Kenneth Rotich) all of whom placed in the top seven and earned All Conference status. Rotich won three Runner of the Week awards in 2007.

Kennesaw State follows ETSU in the men’s poll and will welcome back Scott Burley to the squad after red-shirting in 2007. In 2006, he finished third at the A-Sun meet and will be part of a team that must replace three of its top four runners from the 2007 Championship. Campbell took fourth proceeded by Lipscomb and UNF. Florida Gulf Coast and Mercer shared seventh with USC Upstate coming in ninth with Stetson and Jacksonville finishing tenth and 11th.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Related Links:
 • A-Sun Men's Cross Country
 • A-Sun Women's Cross Country