Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Women’s Cross Country Picked Second in SBC Preseason Poll
8/24/2023 12:00:00 PM | Cross Country
Defending champions, Arkansas State tabbed as preseason favorite
NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll was revealed Thursday morning, with Marshall being picked in a three-way tie for second with JMU and Southern Miss.
Marshall finished fourth at the Conference Championship a season ago under then first-year head coach, Caleb Bowen.
"We try to not put too much stock into preseason polls since no one wins a trophy at the end of the year based on a poll or ranking," Marshall head coach Caleb Bowen said. "Rather, trophies are won by the thousands of miles run between now and October 28th and the guts that each runner runs with on the day of the championship. That being said, I'm proud that this group has garnered the respect of the other coaches in the conference. It means a lot to be in the same conversation as some of these really tough teams."
The Herd returns a pair of Sun Belt All-Conference members in Abby Herring and Kylee Mastin. Herring - a three-time All-Conference member - finished fourth at the Sun Belt Championship in 2022.
Hannah Wyler - a sophomore from Mineral City, Ohio - set personal records in her final two races as a freshman a season ago. The second-year runner has established herself in the Herd's top three.
"My gosh this group is strong," Coach Bowen said. "We have a strong top three with Abby, Kylee, and Hannah who all are coming off monster track seasons. Newcomer Hannah Toth has shown that she can bridge that gap and be an immediate impact as a solid four. Then the most exciting part of the team is the battle for that five spot. So far in practice it looks like we have five athletes all fighting for it. It is going to be so much fun to watch the competition level rise for the five through 10 spots on the team as that's what is ultimately going to dictate how good this team can be. I honestly believe this will be the best team in Marshall XC history. We just need to keep them healthy and progressing!"
2023 Sun Belt Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll:
1, Arkansas State (6) – 159 points
T2. James Madison – 136 points
T2. Marshall (1) – 136 points
T2. Southern Miss (4) – 136 points
5. App State (2) – 123 points
6. Coastal Carolina – 103 points
7. South Alabama – 91 points
8. Louisiana – 78 points
9. ULM – 70 points
10. Troy – 51 points
11. Texas State – 45 points
12. Georgia Southern – 35 points
13. Georgia State – 20 points
Follow the team on Twitter and Instagram @HerdTFXC for coverage all season long of Marshall cross country.
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