GOLDEN SUNS RANKED FOURTH IN LATEST USTFCCCA
DIVISION II SOUTH REGION POLL

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Women’s Country enters the 2009 season ranked exactly where it finished last season, fourth, in the Preseason NCAA Division II South Regional rankings that are compiled by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The Golden Suns, who finished with a school-best fourth place at last fall’s NCAA D-II South Regional in Searcy, Ark., opens its 2009 season next Saturday when it competes at the Brooks/Memphis Twilight Meet on the Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Memphis, Tenn.

“This is a good way for our squad to start off the season, to be ranked highly in the region,” Golden Suns Head Coach Tom Aspel said Tuesday. “It just shows you the kind of season we had last year and the quality of returners we have coming back.”

The USTFCCCA NCAA Division II region poll will be released every week during the regular season beginning on Sept. 15. The poll ranks the Top 10 men’s and women’s cross country teams in each of the eight NCAA regions. Eight regional representatives coordinate the voting in their own region with input from the coaches.

Tech returns three of its top five runners from last season, including junior Lauren Karnitz (DeSoto, Kan.) and senior Melissa Pollreis (Gravette, Ark.). Both Karnitz and Pollreis were named First-Team All-Gulf South Conference selections last season after finishing in the Top 8 of the GSC Championship Meet.

Tampa, who is the two-time defending South Region champion, opens the season at No. 1 in the preseason poll. Harding, the four-time defending GSC Champion, opens the season ranked second and Alabama-Huntsville, last season’s GSC runner-up, is ranked third in the preseason poll.

Following Tech in the poll is Florida Southern at No. 5, West Georgia is ranked sixth and Nova Southeastern opens the season ranked seventh. Florida Tech is ranked eighth and is followed by Southern Arkansas at No. 9 and Valdosta State rounds out the poll at No. 10.

           -- Tech Athletics --