Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Men Picked First, Women Second in XC Preseason Poll
8/23/2017 3:04:00 PM | Track & Field/Cross Country
MURFREESBORO, TENN.— With the cross country season right around the corner, the Middle Tennessee cross country teams are poised to have another record-breaking year. The men's team was picked to finish first, while the women's squad was selected to finish second in the 2017 Conference USA Preseason Poll released this morning.
The men's team took second in the 2016 C-USA Conference Championships. Their success carried over to a second place finish at the NCAA South Regional Championship and the team's first ever appearance at the NCAA National Championships.
The women's team also finished second in last year's C-USA championships, and received three first place votes in this season's poll.
Reigning women's C-USA champions Rice, were voted to repeat again as champions this upcoming year.
"Getting picked this high in preseason is just a reward for the hard work they put in the past and the success they have had," said Head Coach Dean Hayes. "Coach Vroman and the team have had that success in the past and some people lead towards the ones that are successful and that's how they get the votes but polls are polls, they're just fun."
"On the men's side of course we do return the top five runners," Hayes said. "On the women's side we lost our top four, so there will be a lot for them to strive for this season."
The MT men's squad returns six from last season's team, including breakout star Jacob Choge, who earned MT cross country's first ever All-American accolade, finishing in the top-40 at the NCAA National Championships a season ago. Choge also accumulated a first place finish at the 2016 C-USA Championships and the 2016 NCAA South Region Championships, which landed him C-USA Freshman of the Meet and on the All-C-USA First Team.
The men's side also returns its other top runners in Kigen Chemadi, Sampson Laari, and Amos Cheruiyot, who all placed in the top-10 at last year's C-USA Championships. Chemadi also landed a second place finish at the NCAA Regional meet for the Raiders.
The women's squad looks to replace its top talents from last season after losing two senior standouts. The Raiders return Agnes Abu, Abike Egbeniyi, Rachel Kigen and Sharon Kibiwott.
Middle is slated to compete in five regular season meets and start their year at the Brooks Twilight Classic in Memphis, Tenn., on Sept. 2.
2017 C-USA Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
(First-Place Votes)
1. Rice (6)
2. Middle Tennessee (3)
3. UTEP (2)
4. Southern Miss (1)
5. Charlotte
6. North Texas
7. UAB
8. Marshall
9. UTSA
10. Florida Atlantic
11. WKU
12. Louisiana Tech
13. FIU
2017 C-USA Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
(First-Place Votes)
1. Middle Tennessee (6)
2. UTEP (4)
3. Charlotte
4. North Texas
5. Rice
6. Marshall
7. UTSA
8. Louisiana Tech
9. WKU
10. Florida Atlantic
11. FIU
The men's team took second in the 2016 C-USA Conference Championships. Their success carried over to a second place finish at the NCAA South Regional Championship and the team's first ever appearance at the NCAA National Championships.
The women's team also finished second in last year's C-USA championships, and received three first place votes in this season's poll.
Reigning women's C-USA champions Rice, were voted to repeat again as champions this upcoming year.
"Getting picked this high in preseason is just a reward for the hard work they put in the past and the success they have had," said Head Coach Dean Hayes. "Coach Vroman and the team have had that success in the past and some people lead towards the ones that are successful and that's how they get the votes but polls are polls, they're just fun."
"On the men's side of course we do return the top five runners," Hayes said. "On the women's side we lost our top four, so there will be a lot for them to strive for this season."
The MT men's squad returns six from last season's team, including breakout star Jacob Choge, who earned MT cross country's first ever All-American accolade, finishing in the top-40 at the NCAA National Championships a season ago. Choge also accumulated a first place finish at the 2016 C-USA Championships and the 2016 NCAA South Region Championships, which landed him C-USA Freshman of the Meet and on the All-C-USA First Team.
The men's side also returns its other top runners in Kigen Chemadi, Sampson Laari, and Amos Cheruiyot, who all placed in the top-10 at last year's C-USA Championships. Chemadi also landed a second place finish at the NCAA Regional meet for the Raiders.
The women's squad looks to replace its top talents from last season after losing two senior standouts. The Raiders return Agnes Abu, Abike Egbeniyi, Rachel Kigen and Sharon Kibiwott.
Middle is slated to compete in five regular season meets and start their year at the Brooks Twilight Classic in Memphis, Tenn., on Sept. 2.
2017 C-USA Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
(First-Place Votes)
1. Rice (6)
2. Middle Tennessee (3)
3. UTEP (2)
4. Southern Miss (1)
5. Charlotte
6. North Texas
7. UAB
8. Marshall
9. UTSA
10. Florida Atlantic
11. WKU
12. Louisiana Tech
13. FIU
2017 C-USA Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
(First-Place Votes)
1. Middle Tennessee (6)
2. UTEP (4)
3. Charlotte
4. North Texas
5. Rice
6. Marshall
7. UTSA
8. Louisiana Tech
9. WKU
10. Florida Atlantic
11. FIU
Players Mentioned
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XC/Dist.
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XC/Dist.
/ Track & Field/Cross Country
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