High Point Voted 2021 Preseason Spring Women's Cross Country Favorite

High Point Voted 2021 Preseason Spring Women's Cross Country Favorite

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Three-time defending Big South women’s cross country champion High Point University has been voted the favorite in the conference’s annual preseason poll by the league’s head coaches, the conference office announced today.

The Panthers received nine of the 10 first-place votes and 99 total points to claim the top spot.  HPU is led by three-time defending Big South Champion Famke Heinst, who will attempt to become the Big South’s first four-time winner in league history.  She is joined by returning All-Conference performers Lindsey Ickes, Franzi Jakobs and Tessa Webb.  Campbell received the remaining first-place vote and 88 points to finish second in the poll, while Charleston Southern was third with 79 points.

Radford finished fourth in the voting with 73 points, ahead of UNC Asheville, which placed fifth in the poll with 57 points.  Winthrop claimed sixth-place with 44 points, followed by USC Upstate in seventh with 43 points and Longwood in the eighth position (33 points).  Presbyterian College landed in ninth (18 points), followed by Gardner-Webb (10th, 16 points).  Hampton is not participating in cross country this spring season as the Lady Pirates’ fall sports remain suspended due to the ongoing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

The spring cross country season begins Saturday, Jan. 23, and the Big South Women’s Cross Country Championship is slated for Friday, March 5, on the campus of Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.

2021 BIG SOUTH PRESEASON SPRING WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY POLL

 Rk - School (first-place votes)  Points
 1 - High Point (9)  99
 2 - Campbell (1)  88
 3 - Charleston Southern  79
 4 - Radford  73
 5 - UNC Asheville  57
 6 - Winthrop  44
 7 - USC Upstate  43
 8 - Longwood  33
 9 - Presbyterian College  18
 10 - Gardner-Webb  16
 

Note: points are based on a weighted system, with first-place votes receiving 10 points, followed by 9 points for second-place, and so on.