The Florida cross country team will try to embrace the underdog role today when it competes with the rest of the Southeastern Conference at the SEC Championships.
Three SEC men’s teams and three SEC women’s teams are ranked among the country’s top 30 in the most recent coaches poll.
The Arkansas women are ranked fifth, Georgia is 24th and Ole Miss is 26th. The Florida women have done enough this season to gain some national respect by receiving votes, sitting just outside the top 30. The Arkansas and Ole Miss men are ranked No. 20 and 21, respectively, while Alabama comes in at 30th. UF’s men did not receive any votes.
The SEC Preseason Poll tabbed Florida’s men to finish in a tie for sixth, and the women to finish in eighth. As the season has played out, however, it seems the women have a realistic chance to exceed expectations.
Junior Jessica Pascoe has been a huge reason for the women’s success. She leads the team with two individual titles along with a runner-up finish at the Arturo Barrios Invitational just two weeks ago. Pascoe’s season hasn’t gone unnoticed by the conference. She’s earned two SEC Women’s Runner of the Week honors so far this year.
Redshirt junior Elisabeth Bergh has helped anchor UF’s success as well with three top-10 finishes this season, and senior Caitlin McQuilkin-Bell, who posted a top-100 finish in last year’s SEC Championships, also has three top-10 finishes on the year.
For the men, redshirt sophomore Colin Schaefer enters as Florida’s top runner, having crossed the finish-line in first for the Gators in two of the three meets he’s competed in this season.
Behind him, junior Jack Guyton has finished in second place for the Gators in all three meets he’s competed in.
The day gets started from Indian Pines Golf Course in Auburn, Alabama, with the women’s 6k at 10 a.m. and finishes with the men’s 8k at 11 a.m.
Follow Evan Lepak on Twitter @evanmplepak or contact him at elepak@alligator.org.
The UF women's cross country team is in Auburn, Alabama, to competing at the SEC Championships.
