Men's Cross Country Tabbed Second in NEC Preseason Poll
Men's cross country was voted second in the Northeast Conference's annual preseason poll Monday. The Blue Devils are coming off of a second place finish in the NEC Championship.
Central will be looking to secure its 10th NEC Championship this season. Eric Blake will be returning for his 13th season as head coach of the Blue Devils. Under Blake, the men's cross country team became the first team in any sport in league history to win nine straight titles (2009-2017). The top-two finishers for Central in last season's championship are both returning for their junior seasons this year. Elias Field and Eddie Nicholas finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
The Wagner Seahawks, who narrowly defeated the Blue Devils in the championship race, were tabbed as the favorites for this upcoming season. This is the second season in a row that the one and two spots in the preseason poll have been Wagner and Central, respectively.
The Blue Devils will kick off their season with a race at Marist for the Marist Invite on September 4.