NEW ORLEANS - Appalachian State University men's cross country was tabbed 15th in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Southeast Region Preseason Rankings on Monday, Aug. 29.

The Mountaineers were the sole representatives of the Sun Belt Conference featured on the list. The southeast region was slated as one of the deepest regions in the nation last year according to the association, and the coaches chose Eastern Kentucky to finish out on top. Virginia, Louisville, Furman, and NC State all rounded out the top five.

The men's cross country squad is coming off of a successful 2015 season where they finished second at the Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championships and collected 433 points at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships to place 16th. App State was highlighted by Michael Ellis who had a phenomenal junior campaign. The first team all-conference runner ran a time of 25:4.60 in the 8k and crossed the finish line in fourth at the conference championships. The Winston-Salem native also ran the fastest 10k performance in App State history at the Southeast Regional Championships.

Cross Country will open up the 2016 season at the annual Covered Bridge Open in Boone, N.C. on Friday, Sept. 2. The men's 6.4k race will begin at 6pm.