NEC preseason poll places Bryant eighth

SOMERSET, N.J. – The Bryant University women's cross country team was picked to finish eighth in the 2019 preseason coaches poll, as announced Tuesday by the conference.

Central Connecticut is tabbed to take the title again with six first-place votes, while Saint Francis U (3) and Sacred Heart (2) round out the top three. Mount St. Mary's, Wagner, Robert Morris, and Merrimack solidify the spots in the middle of the pack, and Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU, and St. Francis Brooklyn trail the Bulldogs to conclude the 11-team ranking.

The Bulldogs finished ninth overall at the NEC Championship last season as Julia Ayres (Collegeville, Pa.) and Breann Campise (Tolland, Conn.) cracked the top 50.

The young Bryant squad returns Jacklyn Sullivan (Plymouth, Mass.) and Campise as the lone seniors of the group as well as two NEC All-Rookie selections from a year ago in Sarah Freeman (Merrimac, Mass.) and Ayres.

Bryant kicks off the season in Smithfield for the Nassaney Invitational on Sept. 7.

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FULL NEC PRESEASON POLL

1. Central Connecticut (6)
2. Saint Francis U (3)
3. Sacred Heart (2)
4. Mount St. Mary's
5. Wagner
6. Robert Morris
7. Merrimack
8. Bryant
9. Fairleigh Dickinson
10. LIU
11. St. Francis Brooklyn