NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In the SEC Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll released on Tuesday, the league’s coaches predicted an eighth-place finish for the Vanderbilt women and an 11th-place finish for the men.
Vanderbilt’s women, who last won the SEC title in 2011, earned 96 points in the preseason poll. The Commodores finished sixth last season and return its top-finisher at the SEC meet, Grace Jensen, and All-SEC freshman honoree Ana Wallace.
The men were selected to finish above Auburn with 111 points. Vanderbilt returns four of its five scorers from last season, including Nick Laning, who became the program’s first All-SEC honoree since 1966 as a sophomore in 2019.
“I can’t tell you how excited we are with this opportunity to race,” said head coach Steve Keith. “These student-athletes have not been in a competitive environment since our SEC Indoor Track meet at the end of February so they are very anxious to get back on the starting line with their teammates. You can only train so long and now it’s time to test our fitness.”
Points for the men’s poll were awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11 basis, while the women’s poll was awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13 basis. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
All 14 SEC schools are scheduled to begin the cross country season this week, including the Commodore Classic on Saturday morning in Percy Warner Park. The 2020 SEC Cross Country Championships are slated to take place Friday, Oct. 30 in Baton Rouge, Louisana.
2020 SEC Cross Country Coaches’ Preseason Polls
(parenthesis indicate first-place votes)
MEN
1. Arkansas (9) – 13
2. Ole Miss (3) – 20
3. Alabama – 37
4. Missouri – 50
5. Texas A&M – 51
6. Kentucky – 52
7. Florida – 71
8. Tennessee – 79
9. LSU – 94
10. Georgia – 97
11. Vanderbilt – 111
12. Auburn – 117
WOMEN
1. Arkansas (13) – 13
2. Ole Miss (1) – 31
3. Alabama – 53
4. Missouri – 58
5. Florida – 63
5. Tennessee – 63
7. Kentucky – 88
8. Vanderbilt – 96
9. Georgia – 107
10. Texas A&M – 118
11. Auburn – 123
12. LSU – 141
13. Mississippi State – 154
14. South Carolina – 166
