Cross Country Men & Women Both In Top 3 Of ACC Preseason Poll

GREENSBORO (theACC.com) – The University of North Carolina men's and women's cross country teams both placed in the top three of the 2022 ACC Cross Country Coaches Preseason Polls, released on Friday by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The UNC women were picked to finish second in the ACC, while the men were chosen to finish third. Reigning NCAA women's champion NC State is a unanimous choice to claim its seventh consecutive conference title, while Wake Forest received the nod on the men's side.

The Wolfpack, which earlier this week earned a No. 1 preseason national ranking from the USTFCCCA, received all 15 first-place votes in the ACC women's poll for 225 total points. Carolina (193 total points), Notre Dame (188) and Florida State (173) followed in the balloting.

The Wake Forest men received eight first-place votes and finished with 210 total points. The Demon Deacons place just ahead of two-time defending ACC champion Notre Dame (five first-place votes, 205 points). North Carolina (193 points) and Virginia (164) each picked up one first-place vote to round out the top four.

Despite losing several top runners to graduation and the transfer portal, the ACC men again hope to be part of the national conversation after placing five teams among the top 20 at last year's NCAA finals. Key returnees include ACC Freshman of the Year Parker Wolfe of North Carolina, who earned All-American honors at the 2021 NCAA Championships. Notre Dame enters the season as the two-time defending ACC champion and has posted three consecutive NCAA top-10 team finishes.

Each first-place vote in this year's polls was worth 15 points, each second-place vote 14 points, etc.

Three ACC programs kicked off their seasons Thursday, and 11 more are scheduled to see their first action over Labor Day weekend. UNC is at the Charlotte Opener on Friday morning in Charlotte, N.C. Virginia is set to play host to the 2022 ACC Championships on Friday, Oct. 28.

A look at the 2022 ACC Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Polls, with first-place votes in parenthesis, followed by total points:

WOMEN
1. NC State (15) – 225
2. North Carolina – 195
3. Notre Dame – 188
4. Florida State – 173
5. Virginia – 149
6. Syracuse – 145
7. Duke – 132
8. Boston College – 128
9. Wake Forest – 105
10. Virginia Tech – 101
11. Georgia Tech – 96
12. Pitt – 64
13. Louisville – 41
14. Miami – 37
15. Clemson -21

MEN
1. Wake Forest (8) – 210 points
2. Notre Dame (5) – 205
3. North Carolina (1) – 193
4. Virginia (1) – 164
5. Syracuse – 162
6. Florida State – 150
7. NC State – 149
8. Duke – 132
9. Virginia Tech – 99
10. Pitt – 86
11. Louisville – 79
12. Georgia Tech – 62
13. Boston College – 57
14. Clemson – 36
15. Miami – 16

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