Women's Cross Country

Furman picked to win Southern Conference Cross Country titles

Paladin Men and Women both picked to win 11th straight championship

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman has been picked to win its 11th straight men’s and women’s Southern Conference cross country titles in voting of the league’s 10 head coaches, who could not vote for their own teams.

Coach Robert Gary’s Paladin squads, who have won each SoCon title since 2013, received almost all first-place votes. The women’s team was awarded all nine possible first place votes for a total of 81 points, while the men received eight first place votes and a total of 80 points. With the win at the 2022 SoCon Cross Country Championship, the Furman men, who claimed five of the top ten individual spots last season, matched the league record for consecutive SoCon team titles set by William & Mary from 1966-75. The Furman women, who swept the top six individual spots, extended its own league record with a 10th straight team title.

ETSU’s men, who finished second to the Paladins in 2022, were predicted to finish second this season, grabbing two first place votes and a total of 74 points. The Bucs were followed by Mercer with 60 points and Samford with 54. UNCG was predicted to finish fifth with 52 points, followed by Chattanooga in sixth with 36 points. Western Carolina (34), The Citadel (24), VMI (19) and Wofford (17) rounded out the poll.

In the women’s poll, 2022 runner-up Samford was slotted second with 69 points and the remaining first-place vote. ETSU was third with 65 points.

Chattanooga was fourth in the poll with 52 points, while Western Carolina collected 44. Mercer was picked sixth with 39 points, just ahead of Wofford, which garnered 37. UNCG (34), VMI (16) and The Citadel (13) took the final three positions in the poll.

The 2023 cross country season gets under way on Friday, September 1, with nine squads competing that day. VMI commences its season on Saturday, Sept. 2, at the Richmond Spider Alumni Open.

2023 Southern Conference Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll

Team (1st-place votes) Points

1. Furman (8) 80

2. ETSU (2) 74

3. Mercer 60

4. Samford 54

5. UNCG 52

6. Chattanooga 36

7. Western Carolina 34

8. The Citadel 24

9. VMI 19

10. Wofford, 17

2022 Southern Conference Women’s Cross Country Preseason Poll

Team (1st-place votes) Points

1. Furman (9) 81

2. Samford (1) 69

3. ETSU 65

4. Chattanooga 52

5. Western Carolina 44

6. Mercer, 39

7. Wofford 37

8. UNCG, 34

9. VMI, 16

10. The Citadel 13