After posting the program’s highest league championship finish in the Division II Era (1995-96) with a second place result last season at the GAC Championships, expectations remain high for the Southern Arkansas men’s cross country team.
Entering the 2018 campaign, the league announced the Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday and near the top of the poll were the Muleriders who received 31 total points and two first-place votes to check in at No. 2 in the rankings.
The second place nod by the league’s head coaches stands as the highest preseason ranking for the SAU men in the program’s eight-year membership in the Great American Conference.
The program was ranked third in each preseason poll from 2011-16 and entered last season ranked fourth.
Head men’s and women’s cross country coach Tim Servis sees the high expectations as a reminder of the potential of his 2018 squad.
“The strength and the depth of the team look promising,” noted Servis. He added “I have a lot of faith in our leadership and have high hopes for our student-athletes. We expect to be a more talented and experienced team and believe we are capable of having one of our best seasons yet.”
The high expectations for Southern Arkansas as a team as well as the talent and experience expected by Servis this season are rightly justified.
The program returns a record four All-GAC runners from last fall’s historic season and imports a strong recruiting class from the prep ranks.
Among the All-Conference standouts returning for SAU are a trio of 2017 All-GAC first-team performers in sophomore Trevor Poulson, senior Lane Alexander and junior Cole Watson, while two-time All-GAC second-team honoree Bradyn Gower returns for his senior season as well.
Poulson’s sixth-place finish at the league championships last fall is the highest finish for a Mulerider freshman at the league championships in the Division II era (1995-96).
Watson earned his first league honor after a tenth-place showing and Alexander logged his second All-GAC plaudit after an eighth-place finish at the championships last fall.
Additional returners for the Muleriders this fall include experienced seniors Josue Lopez and Nathan Poovey and sophomore Chance Balsamo.
Nine of this season’s 10 newcomers are freshmen, while junior college transfer Frank Cadelro joins the mix in 2018.
Southern Arkansas opens the season at the GAC Preview/UCO Land Run in Edmond, Oklahoma, on Sept. 1.