BOONE, N.C. - The Appalachian State women's cross country team starts its fall schedule as the favorite to win another Sun Belt Conference championship, this time on its home course.
The women were first and App State's men were fourth in the Sun Belt preseason polls released Thursday afternoon.
The 2017 conference championships will be held in Boone on Oct. 28, and reigning Sun Belt coach of the year Michael Curcio has five of the top seven runners back from the women's team that won the 2016 title in Dothan, Ala., with 43 points, 13 fewer than runner-up Coastal Carolina.