Lions Ranked Fifth in Southeast Region

NEW ORLEANS, LA.-- Mars Hill's men's cross country team is ranked fifth in the Southeast Region in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Poll, which was released Tuesday.

The Lions are coming off a fifth-place finish among non-Division I teams in the Louisville Classic this past Saturday. Three MHU runners finished among the top 50 non-Division I runners in the event. Mars Hill has also notched second-place finishes in the Spartanburg Eye Opener and Hyder-McMahill Invitational, as well as a third-place finish at the Winthrop Invitational. The Lions have been ranked as high as fourth in the region this season.

Alex Griggs has turned in the team's best time at every event this season. The sophomore has been named SAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week twice. He most recently finished 24th in the Blue-Seeded Race at the Louisville Classic.

Derek Gibson and Cesar Reyes have added top 10 finishes in races at various points this season for Mars Hill. Gibson has finished second among Lion runners in every race this season.

Brady Adcock, Nathan Jones and Kiel Bollero have placed among the Lions' top five runners in at least one race this season. Jones most recently turned in the ninth-best time by a freshman in the Blue-Seeded Race at the Louisville Classic.

Mars Hill is the top-ranked South Atlantic Conference school in the region. Queens (9th) and Anderson (10th) are also ranked. The top four MHU runners have placed higher than any SAC runner from another school at every event this season. The Lions have won 16-consecutive SAC Championships.

Click Here for USTFCCCA Rankings

USTFCCCA 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 finish in the NCAA Regional Championships.

The top three teams in the Southeast Regional Championship receive automatic-qualifying bids to the NCAA Championships. This year's Championship race will be held in Spokane, Wash.

Mars Hill will compete in the Royals Pre-Region Challenge this Friday, Oct. 11. Race time is slated for 4:00 p.m. The race course also serves as the site of the Southeast Regional Championship.