RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Following a vote of the Great American Conference’s men’s cross country head coaches, the three-time GAC Champion East Central Tigers will enter 2017 as the preseason favorite, the conference office announced on Wednesday.
ECU tallied five of the seven first-place votes. The Tigers return GAC Runner of the Year Kevin Matthews, who also garnered All-Region honors. He won at the GAC Championships by kicking past Southern Arkansas’ Doug Palmer in the final 50 yards. They also bring back fellow All-Region performer Cole Montgomery, who finished fifth at the GAC Championships, and Larry Filer, who made the All-GAC Second Team.
Harding picked up the remaining two first-place votes. The Bisons feature a pair of 2016 First-Team runners in Lawson Belcher and Camden Barrett. They welcome back Lucas Goodspeed, a 2015 All-Region selection, from a redshirt season.
Oklahoma Baptist, eligible for the GAC title for the first time after successfully completing the transition from NAIA to the NCAA, finished third in the balloting. The Bison roster, which does not boast any seniors, does include a pair of 2016 All-GAC selections in junior Jacob Janzen and sophomore DeAngelo Robles. Janzen placed third at the GAC Championships while Robles came home in 13th.
Southern Arkansas took fourth in the poll. SAU loses Palmer, the runner-up at last year’s GAC Championships, as well as fellow First-Team selection Jose Guevara. Bradyn Gower, a Second-Team member, heads the group of four Muleriders that ran at the GAC Championships.
Southern Nazarene placed fifth. The Crimson Storm returns the 2016 GAC Freshman of the Year, Cody Jones. He took 12th at the GAC Championships. Northwestern Oklahoma State and Arkansas-Monticello rounded out the poll.
The 2017 season begins on Saturday, September 2 with four schools – East Central, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Oklahoma Baptist and Southern Nazarene - competing at the UCO Land Run. Harding and SAU will head east and race at the Memphis Twilight. The Muleriders will host the 2017 GAC Championships on Saturday, October 21.