Women's Cross Country Voted to Claim SEC Title
Monday, August 31, 2009 | Cross Country
The Southeastern Conference coaches voted the University of Florida women's cross country team will take the 2009 league title, according the preseason poll released Monday. The Gators captured eight first-place votes for a total of 15 points.
Alabama was voted first on the men's side with nine first-place votes and 11 points. The Florida men were picked to finish fourth. In 2008, both the men's and women's teams finished exactly where predicted, in fourth and second place, respectively.
The women are returning six letterwinners from last year's team, which finished 17th at the NCAA Championships. Sophomore Genevieve LaCaze (Daisy Hill, Australia) headlines a trio of All-SEC and All-South Region award winners as she captured the SEC Freshman of the Year honor and outdoor track's SEC Freshman Runner of the Year award. Juniors Ali Crabb (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and Charlotte Browning (Pulborough, England) were the other two all-conference and all-region honoree and Browning earned All-America status during the indoor track season. The Gators welcome the return of redshirt sophomore Rebecca Lowe (Vaucluse, Australia), who sat out the 2008 season with an injury. In 2007, she also captured All-SEC and All-South honors. Five newcomers join the UF ranks on their pursuit of the program's fourth league title.
The men return eight letterwinners, including senior Sean Blaney (Kissimmee, Fla.), who earned his second All-South honors with a 16th-place finish at the regional meet. Classmate Justin Taylor (St. Augustine, Fla.) was another consistent scorer for the Gators and put together an outstanding track season with an outdoor qualifying mark in the 1,500m event. The Gators welcome six newcomers to the squad. The men's program has earned two SEC titles in the program's history.
The Gators open the season with their own Mountain Dew Invitational on Friday, Sept. 18 at the UF Golf Course. The women will run the 5K race at 6:30 p.m. and the men will take on the 8K at 7 p.m.
2009 SEC Cross Country Coaches' Poll
| WOMEN | Points (1st-place votes) |
| 1. Florida | 15 (8) |
| 2. Arkansas | 18 (4) |
| 3. Tennessee | 28 |
| 4. Auburn | 45 |
| 5. Georgia | 56 |
| 6. Kentucky | 63 |
| 7. Alabama | 67 |
| 8. Vanderbilt | 75 |
| 9. Mississippi St. | 88 |
| 10. South Carolina | 101 |
| 11. Ole Miss | 112 |
| 12. LSU | 117 |
| MEN | Points (1st-place votes) |
| 1. Alabama | 11 (9) |
| 2. Auburn | 23 (2) |
| 3. Arkansas | 26 |
| 4. Florida | 37 |
| 5. Tennessee | 51 |
| 6. Mississippi St. | 58 |
| 7. Kentucky | 62 |
| 8. Georgia | 64 |
| 9. LSU | 86 |
| 10. Ole Miss | 89 |
| 11. Vanderbilt | 98 |
