Queens Top Choice in Women’s Cross Country Preseason Poll
High Point, NC>For the second time in as many years the
Queens University of Charlotte women’s cross
country team tops the coaches’ preseason poll. The Royals,
who are the two-time defending Conference Carolinas Champions, will
look to three-peat as conference champions and again advance to the
NCAA National Championship.
Queens finished ninth at the 2010 NCAA National Championship
after winning the Southeast Region Championship with numerous
strong athletes. For Queens, they return all but one of their
starting seven, including 2010 Conference Carolinas Champion Kimone
Hewitt and 2010 league championship runner-up Rosa Young.
Three other 2010 NCAA runners return to the roster, Emilia
Skolubowicz, Holly Annas and Mathilde Timboni. The addition of
junior college transfer Andrea Guerra and freshman Bethany White
will provide much support to the already successful Royals.
Mount Olive recorded its best-ever conference
finish last year, placing second at the 2010 Conference Carolinas
Women’s Cross Country Championship. The Trojans return five
of their top six finishers from last year, including All-Conference
Carolinas second team performer Chelsea Long and third teamer
Courtney Siefert. Long became the first women’s cross country
runner in school history to break 20 minutes in each of her first
five collegiate 5k races. Long and Siefert combined for five of the
seven fastest times in school history.
The Trojans were ranked as high as seventh in the regional
rankings last year before finishing tenth in last year’s NCAA
Southeast Regional Championship.
Lee-McRae College will rely on a veteran core
and an influx of gifted newcomers to carry it through a demanding
schedule as the Bobcats claim the third spot in the league’s
preseason poll. Head coach Thomas Cason returns for his second
season after leading the Bobcats to a third-place finish at the
Conference Carolinas Championships last fall. Cason welcomes senior
Rayne Delutis back into the fold, along with juniors Lindsey Bush
and Cinthia Lehner to lead the Bobcats in their quest for the
program’s ninth conference championship.
Converse finished fourth in the poll with
King fifth followed by Barton, Belmont
Abbey, Erskine, Limestone, Coker, North Greenville, and
Pfeiffer respectively rounding-out the poll
standings.
Conference
Carolinas Women's Cross Country Pre-Season
Poll
(# of First Place Votes in
Parenthesis)
1.
Queens……………………………………………………….(11)
121
2. Mount Olive
………………………………………………….
91
3. Lees
McRae……………………………………………..……(1)
85
4.
Converse………………………………………………………
83
5.
King………..……….………………………………………..
80
6.
Barton………………………………………………………..
69
7. Belmont Abbey
……………………………………………..
68
8.
Erskine…………………………………………………….…
57
9.
Limestone……………..………………………………………
49
10.
Coker..………………………………………………………
45
11. North
Greenville…………………………………………….. 26
12.
Pfeiffer……………………………………………………….
18