The Southeastern Conference releases the 2023 Preseason Cross Country Coaches’ Poll.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Gators women’s cross country team was voted to finish first and the men’s team was voted to finish eighth in the Southeastern Conference 2023 Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as announced Tuesday.
Since the introduction of the Preseason Coaches’ Poll in 2007, the women’s team has been picked to finish first three times: 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Additionally, 2023 marks the first time since 2010 that the women have been unanimously picked to win the title, receiving all thirteen possible votes.
Both the women’s team enter the season with strong rosters consisting of experience and incoming talent.
Women’s Team:
RETURNEES
In 2022 the women’s team finished fifth at SEC Championships. They were led by Parker Valby who won the women’s SEC individual title, running at 18:25.87, the fastest time ever recorded in a 6K at a championship event.
The program has retained a large group of runners that have SEC Championships experience including Caroline Bauer, Olivia Jones, Stephanie Ormsby, Rylee Pustilnik, Lucinda Rourke, Jordan Shapiro, Vasileia Spyrou and Liina Winborn.
NEWCOMERS
The team also added the following four transfers: Flomena Asekol, Amelia Mazza-Downie, Elise Thorner and Allison Wilson. Asekol joins the Gators from Alabama where she contributed to a 2022 SEC Cross Country Championship by finishing seventh at the meet.
Mazza-Downie and Thorner join the team from the University of New Mexico where they placed first and sixth at the 2022 Mountain West Cross Country Championships.
Wilson also joins the cross country program from Alabama where she placed in the top-40 at SEC Championships in 2020.
The women also welcome a freshman class of three: Sayla Donnelly, Kate Drummond, and Haley Thornton.
Men’s Team:
RETURNEES
The men’s team recorded a tenth-place finish at 2022 SEC Championships. The program returns twelve runners with SEC Championships experience in either 2021 or 2022. The group includes Orlando Cicilioni, Michael Fiore, Ethan Geiger, Reed Legg, Eoin McNally, Ryan Miller, Matt Mule’, Josh Stern, Javier Vento, Aiden Villasuso, Joe Wester and Mac Wright.
NEWCOMERS
The program adds an equally large freshman class. The group of Parvej Khan, Braxton Legg, Emerson Miller, Gavin Nelson, Riley Novack, Alex Pena and Joe Perazzo look to add youth to a growing and experienced program.
2023 SEC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Men
Women
Rank
Team
Points
Rank
Team
Points
1
Tennessee (5)
20
1
Florida (13)
13
2
Arkansas (5)
21
2
Arkansas (1)
26
3
Alabama (2)
23
3
Alabama
45
4
Ole Miss
43
4
Ole Miss
53
5
Texas A&M
60
5
Tennessee
54
6
Kentucky
64
6
LSU
94
7
Auburn
67
7
Kentucky
102
8
Florida
74
T8
Auburn
104
9
Missouri
92
T8
Texas A&M
104
10
Georgia
98
10
Vanderbilt
114
11
LSU
110
11
South Carolina
120
12
Vanderbilt
120
12
Missouri
122
13
Georgia
161
*Parentheses indicates first-place votes.
14
Mississippi State
162
UPCOMING ACTION
The Gators begin their season this Friday, September 1 at the UNF Cross Country Invitational. The 2023 SEC Cross Country Championships are set to take place on Friday, October 27 in Columbia, South Carolina. See the entire schedule for the 2023 Cross Country season below.
2023 FLORIDA CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE
Date
Meet
Location
9/1
UNF Cross Country Invitational
Jacksonville, Florida
9/15
Mountain Dew Invitational
Gainesville, Florida
9/29
FSU Invitational
Tallahassee, Florida
10/13
Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational
Madison, Wisconsin
10/27
SEC Championships
Columbia, South Carolina
11/10
NCAA South Regional
Gainesville, Florida
11/18
NCAA Championships
Charlottesville, Virginia
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