SPARTANBURG, S.C. – For the third straight year, the Furman men’s and women’s cross country teams were selected as the preseason favorites to take the Southern Conference titles, as voted by all 10 of the league’s coaches. The Paladins are the three-time reigning SoCon champions on both the men’s and women’s sides and earned all nine possible first-place votes in both polls. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

The Paladin women will be paced this season by two-time defending SoCon Runner of the Year Allie Buchalski, while the men will return senior Troy Reeder, who took home the silver medal at last year’s SoCon Cross Country Championship.

In the men’s poll, ETSU received 61 points to place second, while Samford claimed the remaining first-place vote to gain 54 points for the third spot. VMI checks in fourth with 47 points, followed by Chattanooga and UNCG, who tied for fifth with 40 points. Western Carolina (38), Wofford (28), Mercer (16) and The Citadel (9) round out slots 6-10, respectively.

Chattanooga was voted second in the women’s poll with 57 points, followed by Samford, who received the remaining first-place vote to total 56 points. ETSU is slotted fourth with 52 points, while UNCG placed fifth with 49 points. Rounding out the poll on the women’s side are Western Carolina (36), Mercer (28), VMI (24), Wofford (22) and The Citadel (9).

UNCG will kick off its season on Thursday, Sept. 1, at the Elon Invitational, while the remaining nine SoCon squads will open up the season on Friday, Sept. 2, or Saturday, Sept. 3. For the 2016 SoCon men’s cross country composite schedule, click here; for the women’s composite schedule, click here.

The 2016 SoCon Cross Country Championships will be hosted by Chattanooga and are slated for Saturday, Oct. 29.

2016 Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll

2016 Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll

-www.SoConSports.com-