FOREST, Va. – With the 2014-15 academic year set to commence next week, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference has announced the men’s cross country preseason coaches’ poll. A vote of the league’s 11 head coaches comprised the survey and sees Emory & Henry College set to repeat its eighth-place finish from 2013.

Third-year Head Coach Tom Antenucci returns five runners from last season’s squad and welcomes a septet of freshmen which will look to continue the climb up the ODAC ladder.

Highlighting the returners this season for the Wasps are junior Nathan Fishell (Richmond, Va.) and sophomores Alex Cooper (Christiansburg, Va.) and Kevin Watts (Stafford, Va.). The trio comprised the top three runners for E&H in nearly every meet last year with Cooper leading the way four times. Also back for Emory & Henry is junior Justin Smith (Roanoke, Va.) and sophomore Jackson Feezell (Gastonia, N.C.)

“We return our top four runners from last year’s ODAC meet and each of them are in a great position to make big improvements over last year’s finish,” said Antenucci. “It’s obvious that they put the time in and have worked hard over the summer.”

Joining Emory & Henry this fall are seven freshmen that have the capability to be difference makers.  Buck Kirtland (Richmond, Va.), Michael LoGrande (Alexandria, Va.), Caleb Simpson (Midlothian, Va.), Seth Hein (Fairfax, Va.) and Eric Murphy (Fairfax, Va.) have proven that the Wasps now have a strong foothold in Northern Virginia’s recruiting scene. Michael Cawood (Louisville, Ky.) was a mid-distance all-region performer on the track while Brian Crockett (Rural Retreat, Va.) earned all-state honors in indoor track, but both have plenty of potential to make a name for themselves in the woods.

"We're incredibly excited about all seven of our incoming freshmen, as they will provide both talent and depth to our already growing program,” Antenucci added. “Several of these runners will make an immediate impact and should be part of our top seven by the end of the season."

The Wasps are currently in the middle of their preseason workouts which includes a two-night trip to Blowing Rock, North Carolina to run on several challenging trails in some of Watauga County’s most beautiful country.

Bridgewater College is picked to repeat as league champion this year, earning 10 first place votes. Washington and Lee University is second, earning the final first-place vote while Lynchburg College and Eastern Mennonite University round out the top four.

Emory & Henry will begin the season on Friday, August 29 when it travels to Greensboro, N.C., to compete in the annual ODAC Preview Meet. This year, the championships will take place at The Meadows at Guilford College, which will serve as the host of the 2014 ODAC Championships on Saturday, November 1.

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2014 ODAC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
PRESEASON POLL

(#) Denotes first-place votes