Liberty Men's, Women's XC Picked 2nd in ASUN

Entering their second season of ASUN Conference competition, the Liberty men's and women's cross country teams have both been tabbed for second-place finishes by the conference's head coaches.

The Lady Flames, who finished as the 2018 ASUN runners-up, earned three first-place votes and 75 total points. That left Liberty just three points shy of defending champion Lipscomb, which garnered the six remaining first-place votes.

Liberty will be led by junior Noel Palmer, the 2018 ASUN individual runner-up to Women's Preseason Runner of the Year Courtney Brenner from Lipscomb. Calli Parlier was named 2018 ASUN Freshman of the Year after a fifth-place conference finish, while junior Lauren Hirneisen was a second team All-ASUN performer. Freshman Adelyn Ackley should also make an immediate impact after qualifying for the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships as a junior and senior at Hart High School in Michigan.

Led by Men's Preseason Runner of the Year Nathan Jubran, defending ASUN men's champion North Florida was a unanimous pick to repeat, capturing all nine first-place votes. Liberty was picked to match its second-place showing from 2018 with 71 points, finishing just ahead of third-place Lipscomb (64 points).

Despite the graduation of defending ASUN individual champion Azaria Kirwa, the Flames return a trio of All-ASUN runners in redshirt senior Nick Doan, redshirt sophomore Felix Kandie and redshirt junior Benjamin Klemmeck. Kandie went on to earn All-America honors in the steeplechase during the 2019 outdoor track & field season.

Liberty will open the 2019 season at home, playing host to the Liberty Challenge, Friday afternoon at the Liberty Cross Country Course. The women's 4K will begin at 5 p.m. with the men's 4K to follow at 5:30.

The 2019 ASUN Cross Country Championships are set for Nov. 2 at FGCU's Buckingham course in Fort Myers, Fla.

2019 ASUN Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1) Lipscomb (6 first-place votes) – 78 points
2) Liberty (3) – 75
3) North Florida – 63
4T) FGCU – 44
4T) Kennesaw State – 44
6) North Alabama – 37
7) Jacksonville – 25
8) Stetson – 24
9) NJIT – 15

2019 ASUN Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1) North Florida (9 first-place votes) – 81 points
2) Liberty – 71
3) Lipscomb – 64
4) FGCU – 48
5) Stetson – 46
6) NJIT – 30
7) Kennesaw State – 27
8) North Alabama – 26
9) Jacksonville – 12

Women's Preseason Runner of the Year
Courtney Brenner, Lipscomb

Men's Preseason Runner of the Year
Nathan Jubran, North Florida