Kolesnitchenko Tabbed A-Sun Women's Fan-Voted Preseason Runner of the Year; Conference Preseason Polls Released
8/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Macon, Ga. – The USC Upstate men's cross country team has been picked to finish fourth, while the women are projected seventh, by the league's coaches in the Atlantic Sun Cross Country Preseason Polls released this afternoon by the conference.
Along with the release of the preseason polls, senior Anastasia Kolesnitchenko was voted as the A-Sun Fan-Voted Women's Preseason Runner of the Year. Kolesnitchenko, a Boiling Springs native, accumulated 350 votes on the conference's Facebook page and enters this season as the leading returnee for the women's team. The senior turned in a best finish of 17th last season at the College of Charleston Invitational while posting the second-highest finish for Upstate at the A-Sun Championships.
Under the direction of associate head coach Carson Blackwelder, the Spartans return a total of 16 runners this season while adding seven newcomers. Upstate opens its season on Friday, Sept. 4 when it hosts the Eye Opener Invitational at Milliken Research Center.
The Spartan men tallied 39 points in the preseason poll for a fourth place prediction. The men posted a fifth place finish at last season's A-Sun Championships led by Second Team All-Conference performer Griffin Eubanks. The women's team garnered 16 points to project seventh in the preseason poll after placing eighth at the A-Sun Championships last year.
The Upstate men's team returns eight runners from last year's squad led by Eubanks, who became the sixth Spartan in program history to earn A-Sun All-Conference honors. Eubanks logged four top-10 finishes last season led by a second place performance at the Eye Opener. Upstate welcomes six newcomers to the men's team consisting of five freshmen and one sophomore.
Defending conference champion Lipscomb has been voted to win the conference in 2015 after receiving all eight first place votes and 64 total points. North Florida comes in second with 56 points followed by Florida Gulf Coast with 48 points in third place. Stetson and Kennesaw State are tied for fifth at 25 points each, while conference newcomer NJIT (7th, 17 points) and Jacksonville (8th, 14 points) round out the men's preseason poll.
The Spartan women have eight runners back from last season but must replace All-Conference performer Jasmine Polite. Kolesnitchenko is one of four seniors on the roster this season along with Molly Bliss, Rebecca Elliott and Ashleigh Torres. Upstate has one newcomer in freshman Haley McCoy.
Lipscomb, last season's A-Sun champions, picked up all eight first place votes to take the top spot in the women's preseason poll with 64 points. North Florida and Florida Gulf Coast are second and third, respectively, after tallying 55 and 44 points. Jacksonville (4th, 43 points), Kennesaw State (5th, 29 points) and Stetson (6th, 27 points) come in ahead of Upstate in the preseason poll. NJIT completes the preseason poll in eighth place with 10 points.
Lipscomb's Juan Gonzalez and Madi Talbert have been selected as the A-Sun Preseason Men's and Women's Runner of the Year.
The 2015 A-Sun Cross Country Championships will be held Friday, Oct. 30 in Jacksonville, Fla. and is being hosted by North Florida.
Preseason Men's Cross Country Coaches Poll
Place Team (1st place votes) Points
1. Lipscomb (8) 64
2. North Florida 56
3. Florida Gulf Coast 48
4. USC Upstate 39
5. Stetson 25
Kennesaw State 25
7. NJIT 17
8. Jacksonville 14
Preseason Women's Cross Country Coaches Poll
Place Team (1st place votes) Points
1. Lipscomb (8) 64
2. North Florida 55
3. Florida Gulf Coast 44
4. Jacksonville 43
5. Kennesaw State 29
6. Stetson 27
7. USC Upstate 16
8. NJIT 10
Preseason Men's Runner of the Year: Juan Gonzalez, Lipscomb
Preseason Women's Runner of the Year: Madi Talbert, Lipscomb
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