LOCK HAVEN – On Thursday, the East Stroudsburg University men's and women's cross country teams were selected to finish eighth and 11th respectively in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference preseason poll, the league office unveiled.

On the men's side, Shippensburg, the conference runner-up a season ago, claimed the top spot with 12 of the 16 first-place votes while Lock Haven was picked to finish first on the women's side with nine first-place votes.

Sophomore Landon Boyle returns as ESU's highest finisher from the PSAC Championships and NCAA Atlantic Regional while Andrew Dowdell, Emmanuel Gitonga, Caleb Peters and Justin Walters are back for their second seasons. Two of ESU's top returners, juniors Brian McGarrity and Evan Wooby, will exercise their redshirt year. The Warriors added seven freshman in Jack Becker, Tim Gale, Liam Hansberry, Ethan Holcomb, Bryce Keenoy, Cory Miduri and Lucas Thaler.

The women's team added 10 new faces which included nine freshman and graduate student Holly Chambers, who earned Second Team All-Centennial honors a season ago at Ursinus. Sophomores Kelly Martin and Megan Elgrim will look to build off strong freshman campaigns while juniors Carolina Kaczmarek, Alycia Smith and Jada Williams provide the experience for ESU.

Head coach Adam Mengal, who added 17 new student-athletes to the squads, begins his third season at the helm.

The Warriors open the 2023 season on Friday, September 1 at the Adelphi Panthers XC Invite. The women race begins at 2:30 p.m. followed the men's at 3:30 p.m.

2023 PSAC M/W Cross Country Preseason Polls

Men (# of first-place votes)

1. Shippensburg (12)

2. Slippery Rock (3)

3. Lock Haven

4. IUP

5. California

6. Kutztown

7. Gannon

8. East Stroudsburg

9. Bloomsburg

10. Edinboro

11. West Chester

12. Pitt-Johnstown (1)

13. Mercyhurst

14. Mansfield

15. Seton Hill

16. Shepherd

Women (# of first-place votes)

1. Lock Haven (9)

2. Slippery Rock (1)

3. Edinboro (4)

4. Bloomsburg (1)

5. California

6. Kutztown

7. Seton Hill (2)

8. Shippensburg (1)

9. Clarion

10. Gannon

11. East Stroudsburg

12. Millersville

13. West Chester

14. IUP

15. Mansfield

16. Pitt-Johnstown

17. Mercyhurst

18. Shepherd