USCB cross country garnering some national attention

Coach Larry Kimball's goal for his USCB men's cross country team this year is to build enough of a national profile to earn an at-large invitation to the NAIA National Championships -- assuming the Sand Sharks don't upset perennial power Embry-Riddle for the Sun Conference's automatic bid.

Well, the Sand Sharks are off to a good start.

The USCB men received one vote in the NAIA Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released Wednesday. The Sand Sharks are ranked second in the Sun Conference behind Embry-Riddle, which is ranked third in the nation. USCB brings back its top six runners from a team that finished second in the conference last year. Included among them are John Critchlow and Nic Tones, both of whom qualified for nationals as freshmen in 2008.

Embry-Riddle also topped the women's conference ratings, with the Sand Sharks coming in fourth behind Webber International and SCAD. The USCB women finished sixth in the conference last year, but with the addition of several runners, Kimball expects the Sand Sharks to move up this year.
USCB opens the season Sept. 4 at the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia and hosts the Sand Shark Invitational on Sept. 19.

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