ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum University men's and women's cross country teams have each been picked to finish sixth in the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Coaches Polls, the SAC office announced Thursday.

The Pioneer men and women each finished sixth in the 2019 SAC Championship meet, then did not compete during the 2020-21 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Several Pioneer athletes were listed as Athletes to Watch as part of the conference preview. For the men, junior Caleb Archer, senior Alex Perez and sophomore Ray Richardson earned preseason notice while junior Erin Bruce, sophomore Judy Chellah and sophomore Emily Coddington were recognized for the Tusculum women.

Archer (Bluff City, Tenn.) and Richardson (Johnson City, Tenn.) will be making their cross country debuts for the Pioneers this fall after previously competing in track and field. Perez (Aviles, Spain) has competed in a total of 11 events over two years for Tusculum, with a 33rd place finish at the conference meet as a sophomore in 2019.

Queens received 12 of 13 first-place votes and 156 points to take the top spot in the men's preseason poll, with Wingate in second with 138 points and the other first-place vote. Anderson (135 points), Catawba (121), Lenoir-Rhyne (118) and Tusculum (99) own positions three through six, with Lincoln Memorial (89 points) in seventh and Carson-Newman (81) in eighth. The final five consists of Mars Hill (60 points), Newberry (55), Limestone (47), Coker (39) and UVA Wise (32).

Bruce (Jonesborough, Tenn.) ran in five meets as a freshman for the Pioneers, placing 51st in the conference championship meet and 93rd in the NCAA Southeast Regional. Chellah (Johnson City, Tenn.) and Coddington (Acosta, Pa.) were both middle distance runners for the Pioneer track and field team as freshmen.

As in the men's poll, Queens took 12 of 13 first-place votes and grabbed the top spot in the survey with 156 points. Wingate (144 points) was in second and had the other first-place vote, followed by a tie for third between Lenoir-Rhyne and Anderson with 127 points apiece. Catawba (115 points) is fifth, with Tusculum (98), Carson-Newman (91) and Lincoln Memorial (73) in spots six through eight. Mars Hill (71 points) is ninth, trailed by Newberry (53), Limestone (46), Coker (40) and UVA Wise (29).

Tusculum will begin its 2021 season on Friday, Sept. 3 by hosting the Tusculum Open at the Holston Home course. The Pioneers will compete in four regular-season meets prior to the SAC Championship on Saturday, Oct. 23 in Charlotte.

2021 SAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll

2021 SAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll