As we head into the XC season, these are the top 5 men's teams we believe will stand out the Division II ranks.
1.
Central State- Although they came in 3rd place last year in the SIAC, we believe, with the graduations of top runners from Morehouse and Benedict, the Marauders should be the top team going into 2019. They return the defending SIAC champion, Raymond Korir, who has an 8K PR of 24:41. They also return SIAC 3rd place finisher, Emmanuel Birgen who has a 8K PR of 25:46 Look for these two to continue running well as they look to overtake the SIAC and win the crown.
2.
Morehouse- The SIAC Championships came down to a tie-breaker between Morehouse and Benedict. After the team tied with points, official had to determine the winner based on overall time. Morehouse defeated Benedict by 1 second (Morehouse 2:19.01, Benedict 2:19.02). Morehouse loses their top runner, Trey Simmons, so they are looking for Randy Carter Jr. to stay consistent and run well at championships to look to compete for the overall title. He has a PR of 25:40 but he had an up and down season. For them to repeat, they will need him to be their top runner when championships roll around because he has shown he has the talent to do so.
3. Benedict- The SIAC runner-ups who lost to Morehouse by 1 second, return their top runner, Evans Korir, who has a PR of 24:45. He looks to compete for a league title and help the Tigers win the SIAC. They also return two sub 27 runners. For them to move up in the rankings, they will need their 4 and 5 runners to step up and score less points.
4. Virginia State- The CIAA champs, return their top runner, Tyrece Huff, who placed 2nd at the 2018 championships. Outside of Huff, the Trojans do not have returning runners who have placed high in the standings. However, last year, they worked together as a team as they had their next 4 scorers place 12-15 respectively. This helped them capture a team title. They look to replicate that performance next year and Huff looks to cap off his career with a CIAA title.
5. Saint Augustine- The CIAA runner ups, the Falcons are led by sophomore Baron Freeman. Last year, he won the CIAA title and is looking to repeat and lead a Falcons team who are more known for their dominance on the track. However, there looks to be more of a focus being put on their Cross Country program as the coaching staff as done a good job in recruiting talent on the distance side to make a more balanced team.
You think we missed an team. We would love to know. Comment below or email at hbcutrackandfield.com and let us know what you think about the teams.
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