CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Coastal Carolina University women's cross country program was selected to finish third while the men's program was picked to finish seventh in the Big South Conference's annual preseason poll, announced earlier this week and voted on by the league's head coaches.

The Chanticleer women, who have won 13 Big South Conference Championships - most recently in 2013, finished fifth at last year's championship meet. The men, searching for their fourth Big South Conference Championship and first since 1996, placed seventh a season ago.

On the women's side, Coastal received three first-place votes and 105 total points. The Chanticleers were edged out by defending conference champion High Point, with six first-place votes and 109 points, and Liberty, with two first-place votes and 108 points. Campbell was picked to finished fourth (84 points), followed by UNC Asheville (76 points), Radford (71 points) and Winthrop (57 points). Rounding out the women's poll was Gardner-Webb (44 points), Longwood (30 points), Charleston Southern (28 points) and Presbyterian (14 points).

Coastal Carolina returns a trio of All-Conference honorees in Letitia Saayman, Kyla van Graan and Aynslee van Graan as they finished third, fifth and sixth, respectively, in last year's championship 5k. Saayman and K. van Graan went on to advance to the NCAA Cross Country Championships and finished in the top half of the field.

For the men, the Chanticleers received votes to finish as high as fourth in the conference, but were ultimately selected seventh with 61 total points. Defending champion High Point was picked to repeat as conference champion with four first-place votes and 113 points. Right behind the Panthers was Liberty, also with four first-place votes and 110 points, and Campbell, with three-first-place votes and 107 points. UNC Asheville was tabbed to finish fourth (73 points), with Radford (72 points), Winthrop (68 points) and the Chants following closely behind. Longwood tallied 46 points and finished eighth, followed by Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb (29 points) and Presbyterian (18 points).

Senior Zach Hensel will look to lead the Chanticleers and help replace three-time All-Conference runner Joseph Keitt.

Coastal Carolina will get its season underway as they travel to Columbia, S.C. for the Gamecock Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 9 a.m. They will then return to Conway to host the CCU Invitational on Friday, Sept. 11 at 6 p.m

2015 Big South Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll

Rk    Team                  Points1.    High Point (6)          1092.    Liberty (2)             1083.    Coastal Carolina (3)    1054.    Campbell                845.    UNC Asheville           766.    Radford                 717.    Winthrop                578.    Gardner-Webb            449.    Longwood                3010.   Charleston Southern     2811.   Presbyterian            14

2015 Big South Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll

Rk    Team                  Points1.    High Point (4)         1132.    Liberty (4)            1103.    Campbell (1)           1074.    UNC Asheville          735.    Radford                726.    Winthrop               687.    Coastal Carolina       618.    Longwood               469.    Charleston Southern    39      Gardner-Webb           2911.   Presbyterian           18