CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BigSouthSports.com) - The Liberty women's cross country team has been chosen first in the Big South Conference's annual preseason polls by the League's head cross country coaches, it was announced today by the Conference office.

Coming off their second-straight Big South Women's Cross Country Championship, the Lady Flames notched five top votes and 115 points from the panel.  Traditional favorite and 12-time Big South Champion, Coastal Carolina finished No. 2 in the voting with six first-place nods and 111 points.  VMI came in No. 3 with 98 points, followed by High Point with 90 points and UNC Asheville with 73 points to round out the top five.  At No. 6 was Winthrop, who received 60 points, ahead of Campbell (59 points) and Gardner-Webb (46 points).  Radford landed at No. 9 with 33 points and at No. 10 was Charleston Southern with 30 points.  Presbyterian College finished up the voting with 11 points.

The cross country season opens up Sept. 2 with nine men's and women's teams in action.  The Big South Men's and Women's Cross Country Conference Championships are slated for Saturday, Oct. 29, and will be hosted by Coastal Carolina.  The preseason polls appear below.

Rank	Team (First-Place votes)	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total
1	Liberty (5)	55	50	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	115
2	Coastal Carolina (6)	66	20	18	--	7	--	--	--	--	--	--	111
3	VMI	--	20	54	24	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	98
4	High Point	--	10	27	40	7	6	--	--	--	--	--	90
5	UNC Asheville	--	--	--	8	49	6	10	--	--	--	--	73
6	Winthrop	--	--	--	16	7	12	10	12	3	--	--	60
7	Campbell	--	--	--	--	7	30	20	--	--	2	--	59
8	Gardner-Webb	--	--	--	--	--	12	10	12	12	--	--	46
9	Radford	--	--	--	--	--	--	5	8	12	8	--	33
10	Charleston Southern	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	12	6	12	--	30
11	Presbyterian College	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	11	11