GREENVILLE, S.C. – Two-time defending tournament champion UNC Pembroke has been picked to claim the Conference Carolinas again in 2024 Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
 
The conference office officially unveiled the preseason poll on August 28. The preseason poll was voted on by the league’s head coaches.

UNC Pembroke is picked to win their third straight title with 194 points and 13-of-15 first place votes. Belmont Abbey College collected the final two first place votes and is picked second with 174 points. Southern Wesleyan University, 165 points, and Lees-McRae College, 162 points follow in third and fourth, respectively. Converse University rounds out the top five with 142 points.

North Greenville University collected 138 points in the sixth slot and were followed by Erskine College in seventh with 104 points. The University of Mount Olive and King University are tied for eighth with 97 points while Young Harris College rounded out the top 10 with 82 points.

Emmanuel University came in 11th with 59 points while Francis Marion University and new member Shorter University tied for 12th with 46 points. Barton College, 46 points, and Chowan University, 25 points, rounded out the poll.
 
The 2024 season gets underway on Friday, September 6. The Conference Carolinas Cross Country Championship is scheduled for Saturday, October 26 at Milliken Research Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
 
2024 Conference Carolinas
Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll 
 

	School	Total (First Place)
1	UNC Pembroke	194 (13)
2	Belmont Abbey	174 (2)
3	Southern Wesleyan	165
4	Lees-McRae	162
5	Converse	142
6	North Greenville	138
7	Erskine	104
T8	Mount Olive	97
T8	King	97
10	Young Harris	82
11	Emmanuel	59
T12	Francis Marion	46
T12	Shorter	46
14	Barton	44
15	Chowan	25

 

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2024 Conference Carolinas Men's Cross Country
Players to Watch
 
Barton

• Jacob Oliver, So., Winchester, Virginia
• Brandon Waller, Fr. Cabot, Arkansas
• Nolan Gamwell, Fr., Wilson, North Carolina

 Belmont Abbey

• Nathan Gallman, Sr., New Bern, North Carolina (2023 All-Conference Carolinas second team)
• John Hetzel, Jr., Charlotte, North Carolina
• Brian Sause, Sr., Durham, North Carolina (2023 All-Conference Carolinas second team)

Chowan

• Andrew Garrison, Jr., Franklin, North Carolina
• Kani Ellis, Sr., Prince George's County, Maryland

Converse

• Luis Rios Brena, Sr., Gray Court, South Carolina (2023 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
• Alain Flores, So.,  Sopelana, Spain
• Dre'Quan  Guyton, Sr., Spartanburg, South Carolina

Emmanuel

• Tyler Johnson, Fr., Rome, Georgia
• Zaylen Alexander, Fr., Stockbridge, Georgia
• Kee Thomas , Fr., Monticello, Georgia

Erskine

• Matthew Penland, So., Walhalla, South Carolina
• Hayes Weatherman, So., Wake Forest, North Carolina
• Colby Wines, So., Spartanburg, South Carolina

Francis Marion

• Ethan Hickey, So., Hartsville, South Carolina
• Zachary Patrick, Jr., Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Charlie Hall, So., Fort Mill, South Carolina

King

• Mason Sanders, Sr. Kingsport, Tennessee
• Jordan Keith, Sr. Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee (2023 Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete of the Year, 2023 All-Conference Carolinas first team)

Lees-McRae

• Max Geckler, Sr., Wake Forest, North Carolina
• Josh Brett, So., St. Augustine, Florida (2023 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
• Isaac Reyna, So., Thomasville, North Carolina

Mount Olive

• Aman Tsegay, Sr., High Point, North Carolina
• Riley Willcox, Sr., Garner, North Carolina (2023 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
• Evan Hall, So., Apex, North Carolina

North Greenville

• Mason White, So., Cardington, Ohio
• Thomas Schiling, So., Brandon, Florida 
• Matthew Heath, Sr., Seneca, South Carolina 

UNC Pembroke

• Jack Phieffer, r-Sr., Southport, North Carolina (Three-time All-Conference Carolinas selection)
• Norman Junker, Sr., Nordrach, Germany (Two-time All-Conference Carolinas selection)

Shorter

• Paul Schedlbauer Jr., So., Vienna, Austria
• Brian Kipkosgei, Sr., Eldoret, Uasin Gishu, Rift Valley, Kenya

Southern Wesleyan

• Ronan O’Neill, Jr., Pendleton, South Carolina (2023 Conference Carolinas Runner of the Year, 2023 All-Southeast Region, 2023 All-Conference Carolinas first team, 2022 All-Southeast Region third team, 2022 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year, 2022 All-Conference Carolinas first team)
• Drew Jones, Jr., Riverview, Florida (2022 All-Conference Carolinas second team)
• Thomas Macagg, Sr., Fayetteville, North Carolina (2023 All-Conference Carolinas second team, 2022 All-Conference Carolinas second team)

Young Harris

• Liam King, Sr., Young Harris, Georgia (USTFCCCA All-Academic Team)
• Noah Mason, Jr., Raymond, Mississippi