Aug. 24, 2006

MACON, Ga. - Led by last season's Freshman Runner of the Year , Erin Sutton, the defending Atlantic Sun Conference champion Kennesaw State Owls were picked to finish second in the A-Sun as the league released its 2006 preseason coaches poll on Wednesday afternoon.

Kennesaw State, who received three of the 10 first-place votes, finished with 84 points in the poll and was second to Belmont. The Owls clipped the Bruins in last season's championships, snapping Belmont's four year winning streak. Rival North Florida received two first place votes and was two points behind the Owls.

"Losing Patrina Hayes, Magdalena Polko and Tara Mooney and adding three freshman and second place is about right," said head coach Stan Sims on the preseason ranking. "Belmont is strong and they are the team to beat."

Although the Owls lost all-conference runners in Hayes and Polko as well as a consistent scorer in Mooney, they also brings back quality veterans in Sutton, Barbara Garner, Kelly Bloom and Kate Brun.

"We have a solid group of young women to build with this season," added Sims. "We are looking for good things from Erin (Sutton) and Kelly (Bloom) is going to give us leadership. But we'll also need some of our newcomers to contribute in order to have the kind of season we had last year."

Sims and the Owls will begin the season on September 2 with a meet hosted by Jacksonville

2006 Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
Rk - Team Points
1 - Belmont (5) 94
2 - Kennesaw State (3) 84
3 - North Florida (2) 82
4 - Campbell 63
5 - ETSU 55
6 - Lipscomb 48
7 - Jacksonville 38
7 - Mercer 38
9 - Gardner-Webb 33
10 - Stetson 15