College Cross Country News – Guilford Women Ninth, Men 10th in ODAC Preseason Polls

FOREST, Va. – Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) cross country coaches selected Guilford College’s women’s team ninth and the men’s side 10th in the league’s annual preseason polls Thursday. The Quakers’ women collected 47 points in the 13-team ranking. Guilford’s men had 37 points in the 12-team ratings.

Washington and Lee University claimed the top spot in both the women’s and men’s polls. The University of Lynchburg and Bridgewater College were picked second and third, respectively, in the women’s rankings. Bridgewater and Lynchburg rounded out the top-three teams on the men’s side.

Guilford’s women return Samantha Brooks for her senior season. Brooks ran in five of six events last year and notched the fastest six-kilometer time of her career (27 minutes, 29.4 seconds) at the season-ending NCAA Division III South/Southeast Regional Championships. The Quakers placed ninth at the 2017 ODAC Championships.

Guilford welcomes back senior Caleb Amstutz from last’s year’s men’s team, which finished eighth in last year’s league meet. Amstutz had Guilford’s top time in four of six events last fall. He ran a personal-best 27:30.1 on the eight-kilometer course at the 2017 NCAA Division III South/Southeast Regional Championships.

Guilford opens its schedule September 8 at the Monarch Cross Country Classic hosted by Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Shenandoah University hosts the league meet October 27 in Winchester, Virginia.

2018 ODAC MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY – PRESEASON POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes

1. Washington and Lee University (11)    121 pts.
2. Bridgewater College (1)               110 pts.
3. University of Lynchburg               100 pts.
4. Roanoke College                        89 pts.
5. Virginia Wesleyan University           76 pts.
6. Shenandoah University                  74 pts.
7. Emory & Henry College                  56 pts.
8. Eastern Mennonite University           51 pts.
9. Hampden-Sydney College                 39 pts.
10. Guilford College                      37 pts.
11. Randolph College                      26 pts.
12. Ferrum College                        13 pts.

2018 ODAC WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY – PRESEASON POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes

1. Washington and Lee University (10)    141 pts.
2. University of Lynchburg (2)           128 pts.
3. Bridgewater College                   108 pts.
4. Shenandoah University (1)             108 pts.
5. Eastern Mennonite University          102 pts.
6. Roanoke College                        99 pts.
7. Virginia Wesleyan University           82 pts.
8. Emory & Henry College                  65 pts.
9. Guilford College                       47 pts.
10. Randolph College                      42 pts.
11. Sweet Briar College                   31 pts.
12. Ferrum College                        29 pts.
12. Hollins University                    29 pts.