Four Lenoir-Rhyne Cross Country Runners Earn 2012 All-SAC Preseason Accolades
August 16, 2012
L-R men picked to finish fourth in the league while the women were voted third
 Lenoir-Rhyne University junior Laura Rhyne was one of four Bear cross country runners to earn 2012 All-South Atlantic Conference Preseason honors this morning. |
Rock Hill, S.C. - Four members of the Lenoir-Rhyne Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams were named to the 2012 All-South Atlantic Conference Preseason Teams, league officials announced this morning.
On the men's side, L-R sophomore Mike York (Kannapolis, N.C.) was named to the All-SAC Preseason First Team while junior Aaron Nelson (Mayodan, N.C.) earned second-team accolades.
Last season, York finished third in the conference meet and was named the 2011 SAC Freshman Of The Year while the Bears, as a team, were picked to finish fourth in the league preseason coaches poll.
Mars Hill, winners of the 15 straight South Atlantic Conference Championships, was voted once again to claim the title. The Lions received five first-place votes and won out over Anderson by one point. L-R finished fourth at the 2011 SAC Championship meet.
For the women, Lenoir-Rhyne was picked third overall and is coming off back-to-back second-place finishes at the league championship.
Anderson, the two-time defending conference champions, edged Wingate in this year's preseason poll by three points. Both the Trojans and the Bulldogs received five first-place votes.
Individually, juniors Ashley Kale (Maiden, N.C.) and Laura Rhyne (Taylorsville, N.C.) earned preseason all-league accolades. Kale was named to the 2011 All-SAC First Team last fall after finishing sixth at the conference meet while Rhyne was a second-team honoree.
Lenoir-Rhyne opens the 2012 season on Friday, August 31, at the Eye Opener Invitational in Spartanburg, S.C., at 6 p.m. The Bears host the L-R Invitational on Saturday, September 8, at Southside Park in Newton, N.C., beginning at 9 a.m.
2012 South Atlantic Conference
Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Mars Hill (5) 77
2. Anderson (4) 76
3. Wingate (1) 62
4. Lenoir-Rhyne 58
5. Brevard 49
6. Lincoln Memorial 39
7. Newberry 29
8. Catawba 28
9. Carson-Newman 21
10. Tusculum 11
() indicates first-place votes
2012 All-South Atlantic Conference
Men's Cross Country Preseason Teams
FIRST TEAM
Eric Blackburn, Mars Hill
Christian Crifasi, Catawba
Parks Edwards, Anderson
Steve Hammond, Wingate
Josh Moser, Brevard
Alex Pena, Anderson
Mike York, Lenoir-Rhyne
SECOND TEAM
Joshua Adcock, Mars Hill
Biniam Ateka Belachew, Wingate
David Cooper, Tusculum
Josh Greenfield-Tuttle, Mars Hill
Kyle Koby, Anderson
Aaron Nelson, Lenoir-Rhyne
Matthew Shaffer, Anderson
2012 South Atlantic Conference
Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Anderson (5) 76
2. Wingate (5) 73
3. Lenoir-Rhyne 66
4. Carson-Newman 55
5. Mars Hill 48
6. Lincoln Memorial 39
7. Brevard 35
8t. Catawba 24
8t. Newberry 24
10. Tusculum 10
() indicates first-place votes
2012 All-South Atlantic Conference
Women's Cross Country Preseason Teams
FIRST TEAM
Ashley Kale, Lenoir-Rhyne
Sofia Lopez Mimendi, Lincoln Memorial
Hannah Reese, Carson-Newman
Hannah Robles, Anderson
Brianna Stevens, Wingate
Jessica Viscusi, Mars Hill
Keeley Wood, Wingate
SECOND TEAM
Angela Canale, Brevard
Sydney Hazel, Anderson
Amanda Johnson, Anderson
Meredith Nix, Carson-Newman
Laura Rhyne, Lenoir-Rhyne
Amber Stoerp, Lincoln Memorial
Taylor Varnadoe, Wingate
