Both Cross Country Squads Picked To Finish Fourth In ACC Preseason Poll

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Both North Carolina cross country squads were picked to finish in the top five of the Atlantic Coast Conference cross country preseason poll. 

The women’s team was picked to finish fourth, while the men’s team was tied with Notre Dame in fourth as well.

The Tar Heels are coming off a 2024 season that featured sustained team and individual success. The men’s team secured a strong sixth-place finish, marking its third consecutive top-10 finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. The women’s squad delivered an impressive 11th-place finish. The team brought home four All-America honors, and Parker Wolfe made history as the first male Tar Heel to earn four career All-America honors.

The team will look to open the season with its sixth straight win by both genders at the Charlotte Opener in Charlotte on August 29. Carolina will stay local and head to Cary, N.C., for the Adidas XC Challenge on September 19.

Women’s Cross Country Preseason Poll

1 – NC State (12), 308

2 – Notre Dame (6), 301

3 – Stanford, 289

4 – North Carolina, 267

5 – Virginia, 254

6 – Boston College, 212

7 – Florida State, 207

8 – Wake Forest, 192

9 – Clemson, 176

10 – Syracuse, 174

11 – Louisville, 152

12 – Duke, 122

13 – Virginia Tech, 108

14 – Georgia Tech, 99

15 – SMU, 85

16 – California, 61

17 – Pitt, 44

18 – Miami, 26

Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll

1 – Wake Forest (15), 285

2 – Virginia (1), 258

3 – Stanford, 256

T-4 – North Carolina, 226

T-4 – Notre Dame (1), 226

6 – Syracuse, 211

7 – Virginia Tech, 176

8 – NC State, 161

T-9 – Florida State, 131

T-9 – Duke, 131

11 – California, 126

12 – Louisville, 100

13- Georgia Tech, 94

T-14 – Boston College, 74

T-14 – Pitt, 74

16 – Clemson, 45

17 – Miami, 22

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