Spartanburg, S.C. The Citadel men's cross country team was picked to finish ninth while the women were tabbed to finish 10th in a poll of the Southern Conference coaches, announced Tuesday afternoon by the SoCon Office. Both teams placed eighth at the 2007 SoCon Cross Country Championships.
The Citadel women's team boasts a wealth of experience with three academic seniors and a pair of juniors that have all run some of the fastest times in school history. The men's team features a young squad that gained valuable experience throughout the 2007 campaign.
The Appalachian State men's cross country team and the Chattanooga women's team were selected by the conference coaches to win the 2008 Southern Conference Cross Country Championship.
The Appalachian State men, which received 10 of the 11 possible first-place votes and 100 overall points, return 11 runners including five of the top 15 finishers at the 2007 SoCon Championships. These include senior Asmeron Desta, junior Alec Meyer, senior Ryan O'Keefe, junior Phillip Mitchell and junior Josh Houser.
Furman, which picked up the other first-place vote and 86 total points, returns eight runners off a third-place finish in last season's SoCon Championships.
Chattanooga, who finished second in last season's SoCon Championships, came in third with 80 points.
The Chattanooga women, which received 10 of the possible 12 first-place votes and 120 total points, return 10 runners from last season's SoCon Championship team including three of the top 15 finishers at the 2007 SoCon Championships. These include senior Katie Williams, junior Shelley Taylor and sophomore Jordyn Radke.
Two teams, Furman and Appalachian State, split the final two first-place votes. The Paladins, who finished third at the 2007 SoCon Championships, tallied 102 total points and return eight runners. The Mountaineers, who finished fourth at the last season's SoCon Championships, received 95 total points and return 13 runners.
Davidson, which finished second in last season's SoCon Championships, came in fourth with 93 total points.
The 2008 SoCon Cross Country Championships will be held November 1, in Spartanburg, S.C. at the Milliken Park.
For complete coverage of Bulldog Cross Country, visit the official home of The Citadel Athletics at CitadelSports.com.
