SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Eight-time defending Southern Conference cross country champion Furman has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2021 men's and women's championship titles in voting completed by the league’s 10 head coaches.
The Paladins, led by seven-time Coach of the Year, Robert Gary, received all nine possible first place votes on both the women’s and men’s sides, finishing with a total of 81 points each for both teams. VMI received a first-place vote on the men’s side, while ETSU earned a first-place vote on the women’s side.
On the men’s side, ETSU finished in second place with 70 points and VMI finished in third, collecting 63 total points. Samford took the fourth spot with 58 points, while UNCG followed closely behind with 51 points for a fifth-place finish. Mercer (42), Chattanooga (33), The Citadel (22), Western Carolina (16) and Wofford (14) round out the remainder of the men’s poll.
On the women’s side, ETSU and Samford tied for the second-place position to finish with 69 points each. UNCG and Chattanooga round out the top-five, with the Spartans earning 49 points and the Mocs finishing with 47. Western Carolina (45), Mercer (38), VMI (22), Wofford (15), and the Citadel (15) round out the remainder of the women’s poll.
The men’s and women’s cross-country season will commence the first week of September, with majority of the SoCon programs competing on Friday, Sept. 3. ETSU, Mercer, and Western Carolina will travel to Boone, North Carolina to compete in the Covered Bridge Open, while Samford and Chattanooga travel to Jacksonville, Alabama to compete in the JSU Foothills Invitational. Wofford and UNCG will also get underway on Sept. 3, with the Terriers competing in the Eye Opener in Spartanburg, South Carolina and the Spartans competing in the Elon Opener in Elon, North Carolina.
The 2021 Southern Conference Cross Country Championship will be held on Oct. 30 in Lexington, Virginia at the Lexington Golf and Country Club.
2021 Preseason Southern Conference Men’s Cross Country Poll
| Team (1st-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. Furman (9) |
81 |
| 2. ETSU |
70 |
| 3. VMI (1) |
63 |
| 4. Samford |
58 |
| 5. UNCG |
51 |
| 6. Mercer |
42 |
| 7. Chattanooga |
33 |
| 8. The Citadel |
22 |
| 9. Western Carolina |
16 |
| 10. Wofford |
14 |
2021 Preseason Southern Conference Women’s Cross Country Poll
| Team (1st-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. Furman (9) |
81 |
| T2. ETSU (1) |
69 |
| T2. Samford |
69 |
| 4. UNCG |
49 |
| 5. Chattanooga |
47 |
| 6. Western Carolina |
45 |
| 7. Mercer |
38 |
| 8. VMI |
22 |
| T9. Wofford |
15 |
| T9. The Citadel |
15 |