NEW ORLEANS – The University of North Carolina men’s cross country team is ranked No. 1, and its women’s team is ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division I Southeast Region preseason rankings released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday.
The Carolina men finished first at the 2022 NCAA Southeast Regional to win the event for the first time since 1980. The previous best finish by the UNC men was third on three occasions (1985, 1991, 2014). Three returning Tar Heels earned all-region honors led by ACC and USTFCCA Regional Runner of the Year Parker Wolfe, who finished in second place less than two seconds behind regional champion Nickolas Scudder of Charlotte. Patrick Anderson earned all-region accolades with a sixth-place finish, as did Will Coogan, who placed 14th.
The UNC women finished in second place for the second in a row after also finishing as runner-up in 2021. Five returning Carolina athletes earned all-region honors, led by Kelsey Harrington’s eighth-place finish. Brynn Brown (11th), Fatima Alanis (17th), Eva Klingbeil (18th) and Sasha Neglia (22nd) all finished inside the Top 25 to earn a place on the all-region team.
The UNC men’s and women’s cross country teams finished in the top 10 at the 2022 NCAA Championships. The Carolina women posted their best-ever NCAA finish, taking fifth place, and the men posted their second-best finish ever, placing 10th.
USTFCCCA Regional Cross Country Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning team strength with current season results in determining predicted team finishes at the NCAA Regional Championships.
The preseason national coaches’ poll will be announced Wednesday.
The Carolina men finished first at the 2022 NCAA Southeast Regional to win the event for the first time since 1980. The previous best finish by the UNC men was third on three occasions (1985, 1991, 2014). Three returning Tar Heels earned all-region honors led by ACC and USTFCCA Regional Runner of the Year Parker Wolfe, who finished in second place less than two seconds behind regional champion Nickolas Scudder of Charlotte. Patrick Anderson earned all-region accolades with a sixth-place finish, as did Will Coogan, who placed 14th.
The UNC women finished in second place for the second in a row after also finishing as runner-up in 2021. Five returning Carolina athletes earned all-region honors, led by Kelsey Harrington’s eighth-place finish. Brynn Brown (11th), Fatima Alanis (17th), Eva Klingbeil (18th) and Sasha Neglia (22nd) all finished inside the Top 25 to earn a place on the all-region team.
The UNC men’s and women’s cross country teams finished in the top 10 at the 2022 NCAA Championships. The Carolina women posted their best-ever NCAA finish, taking fifth place, and the men posted their second-best finish ever, placing 10th.
USTFCCCA Regional Cross Country Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning team strength with current season results in determining predicted team finishes at the NCAA Regional Championships.
The preseason national coaches’ poll will be announced Wednesday.
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