BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Alabama men's cross country team tops the preseason Southeastern Conference Cross Country Coaches' Poll released today by the league office.

The Crimson Tide men received 10 of 12 first-place votes and 12 total points. Arkansas received the remaining two first-place votes and was second with 20 points. Ole Miss was third. Tennessee and Kentucky rounded out the top five.

The Alabama women finished seventh in their preseason poll with 87 points. Arkansas was tabbed as the women's preseason favorite, receiving 13 of 14 first place votes. Runner-up Georgia received the remaining first place vote. Ole Miss was third with 39 points, followed by Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and the Crimson Tide.

Teams received one point for a first place vote, two points for a second place vote, etc. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.

The men's and women's teams were also ranked No. 1 and No. 7, respectively, in the preseason United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Region rankings that were announced today.

"We're honored by the ranking and I think it says a lot about how far we've come as a program," Alabama head coach Dan Waters said. "Now it's up to us to prove it race-by-race throughout the season."

Alabama begins 2018 at the Mississippi College Season Opener in Clinton, Miss., on Friday, Aug. 31, at 5 p.m. CT.

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