August 17, 2011

Lady Eagles picked to finish fifth; Earhardt named second team All-SAC

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman junior Brooke Earhardt has been named to the Preseason Cross Country All-South Atlantic Conference second team, and the lady Eagles have been picked to finish fifth as a team, the league office announced Wednesday. Earhardt finished 15th at last season’s SAC Championships and third at the Railsplitter Invitational.

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman junior Brooke Earhardt has been named to the Preseason Cross Country All-South Atlantic Conference second team, and the lady Eagles have been picked to finish fifth as a team, the league office announced Wednesday.

Earhardt finished 15^th at last season's SAC Championships and third at the Railsplitter Invitational.

Carson-Newman will host this season's SAC Championships at Panther Creek State Park in Morristown, Tenn. on Oct. 22.

Defending South Atlantic Conference champion Anderson was picked No. 1 in the 2011 women's cross country preseason coaches' poll.

The Trojans, led by 2010 SAC Runner of the Year Whitney Bishoff, tallied six first-place votes.

No. 2 in the poll is Lenoir-Rhyne, which received the other four first-place votes from the coaches. The Bears will once again be paced by 2010 NCAA Southeast Region champion and USTFCCCA Southeast Region Women's Athlete of the Year Kate Griewisch, who also recorded an 18^th-place finish at the NCAA National Championship a year ago.

Wingate is third in the women's poll, followed by Mars Hill at No. 4, C-N at No. 5 and Catawba at No. 6. Brevard is next at No. 7, followed by Lincoln Memorial, Tusculum and Newberry.

The preseason All-SAC team was also announced on Wednesday. Leading the way was Lenoir-Rhyne, which placed two student-athletes on the first team – including Griewisch -- and two on the second team.

Led by Bishoff, Anderson had two first-team and one second-team selection, while Brevard, Wingate and Mars Hill each placed one student-athlete on the first-team.

Catawba landed two second-team preseason selections, and Carson-Newman and Lincoln Memorial each had one student-athlete earn second-team distinctions.

South Atlantic Conference cross country officially gets underway on Sept. 1 when Lincoln Memorial competes in the Asbury-Jessamine Invitational. The 2011 Food Lion SAC Championship will be hosted by Carson-Newman on Oct. 22 in Morristown, Tenn.

-SAC-

Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll

Team Points (1^st-Place Votes)

1. Anderson - 96 (6)

2. Lenoir-Rhyne - 93 (4)

3. Wingate - 79

4. Mars Hill - 67

5. Carson-Newman - 56

6. Catawba - 48

7. Brevard - 43

8. Lincoln Memorial - 36

9. Tusculum - 22