August 18, 2010

Bears Picked to Climb in 2010 A-Sun Preseason Cross Country Coaches' Poll

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University women’s cross country team was picked to finish in a tie for eighth place in the 2010 Atlantic Sun Conference preseason coaches’ poll released Wednesday.

The Bears finished ninth in the A-Sun championships in 2009. MU finished behind eighth-place Campbell University, the team tied with the Bears in this year’s preseason poll in the eight slot.

The Mercer squad is led by sophomore Kacie Niemann (Crestwood, Ky./South Oldham H.S.), who was a second team All-A-Sun finisher in 2009 with a 13^th place and was also named to the league’s All-Freshman Team. Niemann was MU’s first all-conference finisher in women’s cross country since 1999. She also set a school record in the six-kilometer race at the NCAA South Regionals and owns four of the school’s top-10 best times for 5K races.

MU returns two seniors – Clara Densmore (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter H.S.) and Jenna Jackson (Fayetteville, Ga./Sandy Creek H.S.) – to the fold in 2010, both of whom were members of the A-Sun All-Academic Team. Densmore has been honored with the league’s all-academic award three times, while Jackson has received the accolades twice.

In all, the Bears welcome back seven letterwinners and lost just one from last year’s team. Head coach Ryan Bailey will also have several top-flight newcomers in his ranks, including freshmen Linda Batna (Kandava, Latvia), Caley Cranford (Cochran, Ga./Bleckley County H.S.), Lena Harmvas (Marietta, Ga./Walton H.S.) and Samantha Woller (Waukesha, Wis./New Berlin Eisenhower H.S.).

Defending A-Sun champ Jacksonville was tabbed to repeat its title in the 2010 preseason poll.

Mercer opens its season at the University of Georgia Invitational on September 4.

2010 Atlantic Sun Women’s Cross Country Preseason Poll

Rank School (First Place Votes) Votes

1. Jacksonville (9) - 116

2. North Florida - 98

T3. USC Upstate - 89

T3 Kennesaw State - 89

5. Lipscomb (2) - 83

6. Belmont - 78

7. Florida Gulf Coast - 50

T8. Campbell - 43