RedStorm women fourth in RSC preseason poll

Rio Grande/RSC Sports Information
     MIDDLETOWN, Ohio - The University of Rio Grande was picked fourth in the 2024 River States Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll.
     The poll, announced Thursday by the league office, saw each of the conference's 11 head coaches rank the other member schools in order of predicted finish.
Rio Grande received one first-place vote and 76 total points.
     Head coach Matt Paxton's squad is bolstered by the return of senior Mackenzie McCarthy (New Franklin, OH) and junior Amarissa Kerns (Lancaster, OH) - both of whom earned All-RSC honors last year.
     The RedStorm open their season on Aug. 30 at the Marshall University Invitational in Huntington, W.Va.
     The defending champion Red Wolves of Indiana University East earned the distinction of preseason favorites in the poll, earning eight first-place nods and 96 total points.
     Shawnee State University tallied one first-place vote and 88 points to grab second place, while Indiana University Kokomo was third with one first-place vote and 82 points.
     IU Kokomo features the top returning runner from 2023, RSC individual champion Hannah Wells, who is now a senior.
     After the top four, Midway checks in at fifth, while the Pomeroys of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods are picked to finish in the middle of the conference, at sixth place. The bottom half of the poll sees IU Columbus seventh, WVU Tech eighth, Brescia ninth, Oakland City 10th and Alice Lloyd rounding out the conference at 11th.
     The River States cross country schedule begins on August 30, with five teams in competition, including two others joining Rio Grande at Marshall.
     The season will culminate in Evansville, Indiana on Saturday, November 9, when a champion is decided at the RSC Championships. Oakland City University will host the championship meet.