Tampa Expected To Retain SSC Women’s Cross Country Crown In 2021

MELBOURNE, Fla. –  The University of Tampa has been voted No. 1 in the 2021 Sunshine State Conference women's cross country coaches preseason poll. The Spartans are expected to repeat as league champions for the fourth consecutive year after receiving 49 points and seven first-place votes in the ranking.

Saint Leo University and Palm Beach Atlantic University tie for second in the poll with 35 points apiece. However, the Lions picked up the final first-place vote from the coaches. Florida Southern College narrowly lands in fourth place with 34 points, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University rounds out the Top-5 with 32 points. Lynn University (16 points), Nova Southeastern University (15 Points), and Florida Tech (8 points) occupy the final three positions in the ranking.

Last season, the SSC championship was moved from the Fall to February due to concerns over COVID-19. Tampa bested the field at PBA's Rinker Athletic Campus in West Palm Beach by 29 points to capture the program's third consecutive, 16th overall SSC Women's Cross Country Championship. All five Spartans finished within the Top-10 runners. Palm Beach Atlantic University collected a program-record finish, edging Florida Southern, 70 to 75, for second place.

Florida Southern will host the 2021 Sunshine State Conference Men's & Women's Cross Country Championships on Saturday, October 23rd, at Holloway Park in Lakeland. Saint Leo University will then host the regional championship in early November at the Abbey Course in Saint Leo. SLU will turn around and host the NCAA Finals on Saturday, November 20th.

Below are the full results of the 2021 SSC preseason coaches' poll. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their teams (points: 7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).