SEC Coaches Pick Florida Women's Cross Country to Defend League Title; Vote UF Men Third
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 | Cross Country
The Florida women's cross country squad tallied all eleven first-place votes to take top honors in the 2010 SEC Cross Country Coaches Preseason Poll, released by the conference office Wednesday. Florida's men were picked to finish third in the league, with 34 points.
On the women's side, the Gators brought home their fourth SEC title in program history last season after also taking all the marbles in 1984, 1996 and 1997. Cross country coach Todd Morgan was named the 2009 SEC and South Region Women's Coach of the Year. The Gators returned stacked for the 2010 season, returning SEC Female Athlete of the Year and All-American Rebecca Lowe (Vaucluse, Australia), as well as three of last year's All-SEC selections, including All-American Charlotte Browning (Pulborough, England). Morgan led UF to a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the first top-10 finish and highest finale in program history.
The Florida men return veteran Anthony Morales (Palm Coast, Fla.), a 2009 All-south Region selection, and look to top last year's fourth-place league finish and fifth-place NCAA South Region standing. The Gators won their first SEC team title in 1955, followed by back-to-back SEC titles in 1986 and 1987.
Alabama topped the preseason poll on the men's side, while Arkansas was picked to finish second. The two squads split the first-place votes, 7-4. Arkansas and Georgia round out second and third place standings in the women's poll.
Points for the men's poll were awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 basis, while the women's poll was awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11 basis.
The 2010 SEC Cross Country Championships, hosted by the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., will be held Nov.1.
2010 SEC Cross Country Coaches Preseason Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
SEC Champion
Men: Alabama (7), Arkansas (4)
Women: Florida (11)
MEN
1. Alabama (7) 13
2. Arkansas (4) 16
3. Florida 34
4. Georgia 41
T5. Auburn 49
T5. Tennessee 49
7. Kentucky 67
8. Mississippi State 72
9. Ole Miss 73
10. LSU 95
11. Vanderbilt 96
WOMEN
1. Florida (11) 11
2. Arkansas 24
3. Georgia 35
T4. Alabama 52
T4. Tennessee 52
T4. Vanderbilt 52
7. Auburn 67
8. Kentucky 78
9. Mississippi State 96
10. South Carolina 97
11. LSU 113
12. Ole Miss 117
