Spartans Tabbed Fourth in Preseason Men's Cross Country Poll

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Sunshine State Conference men's cross country coaches select Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as the preseason favorite in 2021. The Eagles are expected to repeat as league champions after receiving 47 points and five first-place votes in the ranking.

Florida Southern College places second in the voting with 39 points and a first-place vote, while Saint Leo University barely falls to third with 38 points and a first-place vote. The University of Tampa picked up the final first-place vote and 33 points as they land in fourth place. Palm Beach Atlantic University (23 points), Lynn University (22 points), Nova Southeastern University (15 points), and Florida Tech (7 points) occupy the final four positions in the slate.

Last season, the SSC championship was moved from the Fall to February due to concerns over COVID-19. ERAU ran away with the win at PBA's Rinker Athletic Campus in West Palm Beach, earning the program's third league championship in four years. The top four Eagle runners finished fourth, fifth, eighth, and tenth to secure a 16-point victory. Florida Southern placed second with 54 points and two finishers in the top three, while Tampa came in third with 69 points thanks to two runners within the top seven.

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).