Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Cross Country Chosen To Finish Third In The 2011 South Atlantic Conference Race
August 17, 2011
Three Bears were named to the preseason all-conference first and second teams
 L-R senior Jakob Maidens, a three-time all-league pick, was one of three Bear runners to be named to the 2011 South Atlantic Conference Men's Cross Country Preseason First and Second Teams. |
Rock Hill, S.C. - The Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Cross Country Team was voted third in the 2011 South Atlantic Conference Coaches Preseason Poll, league officials announced this afternoon.
Mars Hill, winners of 14 straight league titles, was once again voted as the favorite after receiving seven first-place votes.
Anderson picked up the other three first-place votes and leads the way with four preseason all-league performers. L-R is tied with Wingate at third in the poll.
Three Lenoir-Rhyne University runners earned 2011 All-SAC Preseason honors.
Senior Jakob Maidens (Lebanon, Va.) was named to the first team while junior Zack Queen (Gastonia, N.C.) and sophomore Mike Ryan (Leetsdale, Pa.) garnered second-team accolades for the Bears.
Maidens is a three-time all-conference performer including first-team honors twice (2008 and 2010). In 2008, Maidens finished third in the league championship race and was named the SAC Freshman Of The Year.
Queen was named to the 2009 South Atlantic Conference All-Freshman Team and was one place off of earning all-conference honors last year.
Last season, Lenoir-Rhyne finished second in the South Atlantic Conference Championship in Wingate, N.C.
L-R opens the season on Friday, September 2, in Spartanburg, S.C., in the Eye Opener Invitational beginning at 7:00 p.m. Lenoir-Rhyne's home meet for 2011 will take place on Saturday, September 10, at Southside Park in Newton, N.C., at 9:00 a.m.
2011 South Atlantic Conference
Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Mars Hill 93 (7)
2. Anderson 89 (3)
3t. Lenoir-Rhyne 77
3t. Wingate 77
5. Catawba 55
6. Brevard 49
7. Lincoln Memorial 47
8. Carson-Newman 26
9. Tusculum 25
10. Newberry 12
parenthesis represent first-place votes
2011 All-South Atlantic Conference
Preseason Men's Cross Country Teams
FIRST TEAM
Christian Crifasi, Catawba
Jakob Maidens, Lenoir-Rhyne
Derrick Lindsay, Lincoln Memorial
Justin Gragg, Mars Hill
Binyam Belachew, Wingate
Steve Hammond, Wingate
Andrew Smith, Wingate
SECOND TEAM
Parks Edwards, Anderson
Deniz Hay, Anderson
Kyle Koby, Anderson
Alex Pena, Anderson
Zack Queen, Lenoir-Rhyne
Mike Ryan, Lenoir-Rhyne
Eric Blackburn, Mars Hill
