NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The Lees-McRae men's cross country team, under head coach
Ley Fletcher, is ranked No. 8 in the Southeast Region of the NCAA Division II Men's Cross Country Regional Rankings for the 2022 season, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday afternoon.
Lees-McRae joins Conference Carolinas preseason favorites Emmanuel (No. 4) and UNC Pembroke (No. 6) in the initial rankings.
The Bobcats finished tenth last year in the southeast regional rankings with
Max Geckler,
Ian Kelbert, and
Brennen Pierce all returning after earning All-Conference Carolinas in their first year in Banner Elk.
Geckler (29
th place) and Kelbert (44
th place) crossed the finish in under 33 minutes at the NCAA Division II Southeast Regionals in Spartanburg, South Carolina on November 6, 2021 with Pierce placing 55
th in a time of 33:35.4 in the 10K course. Geckler holds the school record in the 8K distance in a time of 24:46.4 with Kelbert following closely behind in 25:08.7.
The cross country season for both men's and women's squads gets underway on Friday, September 2 at the Covered Bridge Run hosted by Appalachian State.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on Twitter (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics), and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
2022 USTFCCCAÂ Division II Southeast Regional Rankings:
Â
| Rank |
Team |
2021 Final Rank |
| 1 |
Winagte |
1 |
| 2 |
Augusta |
4 |
| 3 |
Anderson (S.C.) |
5 |
| 4 |
Emmanuel (Ga.) |
6 |
| 5 |
Catawba |
3 |
| 6 |
UNC Pembroke |
7 |
| 7 |
Flagler |
8 |
| 8 |
Lees-McRae |
10 |
| 9 |
Tusculum |
11 |
| 10 |
Georgia College |
12 |
