MELBOURNE, Fla. – Sunshine State Conference men’s cross country coaches select Florida Southern College as the preseason favorite in 2018 as the University of Tampa is listed fourth. The Moccasins received 59 total votes and three first-place votes in the SSC’s first-ever men’s cross country poll.

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Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University comes in second with 58 total votes, one behind FSC. However, conference coaches gave ERAU four first-place, the most in this year’s poll. Third place Saint Leo University tallied 51 votes and a first-place vote, while the University of Tampa finished fourth with 43 total votes and the final first-place vote. Rounding out the top five in the poll is Florida Tech with 34 total votes.

Last season, Florida Southern claimed their 17th SSC men’s championship and first since 2013. The Moccasins went on to finish second of six SSC squads at the regional, fourth overall. Saint Leo, the highest of all SSC finishers in the regional, advanced to nationals where they finished 30th.

The 2018 season begins on August 31st with teams competing at the FAU Invitational and Valdosta State Invitational. Rollins College will host the 2018 Sunshine State Conference Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Championships. The event will take place on Saturday, November 3rd on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. Florida Southern will host the NCAA South Regional on Saturday, November 17th at Holloway Park in Lakeland. NCAA Finals will be held Saturday, December 1st at Cooper’s Lake Campground in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.

2018 SSC MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES POLL

Rank	School (FPV*)	Total
1	Florida Southern (3)	59
2	Embry-Riddle (4)	58
3	Saint Leo (1)	51
4	Tampa (1)	43
5	Florida Tech	34
6	Nova Southeastern	31
7	Lynn	23
8	Palm Beach Atlantic	16
9	Rollins	9

*First Place Votes