Asbury picked as 2015 KIAC Women's Cross Country favorite
FLORENCE, Ky. (Aug. 14, 2015) – Asbury (Ky.) University has been tabbed this year's favorite in the 2015 KIAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll released Friday by the conference office.
Asbury, last year's KIAC team champion, received six of the 11 first-place votes and came up with 92 of a possible 100 points in the poll. The Eagles edged out Point Park (Pa.) University, which was just one point behind with 91 points and four first-place votes.
The first-place votes were spread across three teams with Rio Grande receiving the final one on its way to third place and 85 points in the poll.
The preseason poll was voted on by the 11 KIAC women's cross country head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
The top three in this year's preseason predictions remain in the same order from the 2014 KIAC Women's Cross Country Meet results. Asbury's team that finished first last season had just one senior in its top five performers. Point Park was second last year and returns three NAIA national qualifying individuals.
After Rio Grande in third place in the preseason poll, IU East came in fourth with 66 points. The Red Wolves finished fifth in the KIAC last year. Brescia (Ky.) University placed fifth in the poll with 62 points after placing fourth in the conference a year ago.
IU Kokomo (47 points) came in sixth, and Carlow and KIAC newcomer West Virginia Tech were tied for seventh with 44 points each. The final three teams were predicted as Cincinnati Christian (31 points), newcomer Ohio Christian (29) and Alice Lloyd (Ky.) (14).
The KIAC women's cross country season opens August 28. The 2015 KIAC Cross Country Championship Meet is Nov. 7 at Rio Grande. The conference championship team will receive an automatic bid to the NAIA Cross Country National Championship Nov. 21 at Charlotte, N.C., along with any qualifying individuals.
Follow KIAC cross country on KIACsports.com and on Twitter @KIACSports.
2015 KIAC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES' POLL (Aug. 14)
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
| School | Points |
| 1. Asbury (Ky.) (6) | 92 |
| 2. Point Park (Pa.) (4) | 91 |
| 3. Rio Grande (1) | 85 |
| 4. IU East | 66 |
| 5. Brescia (Ky.) | 62 |
| 6. IU Kokomo | 47 |
| T7. Carlow (Pa.) | 44 |
| T7. West Virginia Tech | 44 |
| 9. Cincinnati Christian | 31 |
| 10. Ohio Christian | 29 |
| 11. Alice Lloyd (Ky.) | 14 |