The Sun Belt Conference released its annual preseason cross-country poll on Wednesday.
The conference’s head coaches voted the men’s team as favorites to top the conference and predicted the women’s team to finish sixth.
The men’s team totaled 95 points and five first-place votes. Two days prior, the Mavericks were ranked fourth in the South Central Region by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
“It’s obviously nice to be ranked so high in the preseason because it shows that our program is respected, but nothing is given to you,” head coach John Sauerhage said in a UTA Athletics press release.