Southeast men picked No. 2

~ Julie Koenegstein returns to help lead the women's team.

The Southeast Missouri State men's cross country team will be in the race for Ohio Valley Conference honors, according to the league's preseason poll.

The poll, voted on by the league's coaches, was released Wednesday.

Coach Miles Krieger's Southeast team finished second in the voting behind defending champion Eastern Kentucky. The Redhawks picked up one first-place vote and had 72 points to EKU's eight first-place votes and 80 points. Samford was slated for third.

Southeast is led by junior Kevin McNab, the runner-up in the conference race last year and the top returning finisher in that meet.

Southeast junior Brandon Karcher was seventh in the OVC meet last year.

The Southeast women's team was tabbed for fourth, which would be a jump from its fifth-place finish last year. The Redhawks' top five finishers return from last year's OVC meet, including top-10 finisher Julie Koenegstein, a junior.

Samford was picked for first narrowly over Eastern Kentucky. Samford received five first-place votes.