Central Islip, N.Y. – In a preseason vote by the conference's coaches, the Roberts Wesleyan men's and women's cross country teams have been selected as favorites to repeat as East Coast Conference Champions in 2015. A pair of student-athletes from LIU Post, junior Mike Scott (Fultonville, N.Y.) and sophomore Talya Williams (Schenectady, N.Y.), were named the ECC Preseason Runner of the Year for their respective gender.
Last season was a historic one for both Roberts Wesleyan teams. Both won their first-ever ECC Championship and then became the first teams from the ECC to ever advance to the NCAA Division II National Championship meet. The women's team was the more successful of the two, winning the East Region and finishing ninth at the National Championship race.
Both teams from Roberts Wesleyan have plenty of talented runners returning for a chance to repeat. The men's side has five runners who finished in the top-13 at the ECC Championship back in the fold. Despite losing All-American, Rachel Prutsman, the women's side has four top-25 finishers from last year's ECC Championship on this year's roster.
In the men's poll, Roberts Wesleyan received seven first place votes to take the top spot with 74 points. The runner-up in the poll was LIU Post, who received two first place votes and 68 points. The Pioneers had a streak of five straight ECC titles snapped by Roberts Wesleyan a year ago. Molloy rounds out the top three with 58 points.
On the women's side, Roberts Wesleyan was nearly an unanimous selection, earning nine of 10 first place votes. Coming in second place with 85 points and the final first place vote is LIU Post. St. Thomas Aquinas comes in at No. 3 with 73 points.
Scott was an ECC All-Conference First Team member in 2014 after finishing second at the ECC Championship meet. He also advanced to the NCAA National Championship race by finishing in sixth at the East Region Championship.
Williams had an amazing debut season in LIU Post green and gold, winning the ECC Championship race with a time of 18:23.7 to earn both the ECC Runner and Rookie of the Year honors. The five-time ECC weekly honoree also qualified for the NCAA National Championship race by crossing the finish line in second place at the East Region Championship.
2015 ECC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
| School | Pts. |
| 1. Roberts Wesleyan (7) | 74 |
| 2. LIU Post (2) | 68 |
| 3. Molloy | 58 |
| 4. St. Thomas Aquinas | 45 |
| 5. Queens | 41 |
| 6. Dowling | 35 |
| 7. NYIT | 33 |
| 8. Daemen | 31 |
| 9. Bridgeport | 20 |
2015 ECC Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
| School | Pts. |
| 1. Roberts Wesleyan (9) | 93 |
| 2. LIU Post (1) | 85 |
| 3. St. Thomas Aquinas | 73 |
| 4. Molloy | 61 |
| 5. Daemen | 51 |
| 6. NYIT | 45 |
| 7. Dowling | 44 |
| 8. Queens | 40 |
| 9. District of Columbia | 37 |
| 10. Bridgeport | 21 |
( ) - first place votes
