AUGUSTA, Ga. | The University of North Georgia women’s cross country team was picked to finish second at season’s end in a preseason poll of the Peach Belt Conference coaches, the league office released on Tuesday. The Nighthawks have finished as the runner-up in the conference championship in each of the past two years.
Two-time defending conference champion Montevallo was the unanimous pick to defend their title in 2016, receiving 12 of a possible 12 first place votes. UNG received one first place vote, 10 votes for second place, and one conference foe picked the Nighthawks to finish third.
The 2016 PBC women’s cross country landscape will have a different look as the league welcomes Armstrong State as the 13th program. The Pirates returned their men’s cross country team in 2009.
The 2016 PBC Championship will be run on Oct. 22 at Georgia College in Milledgeville, Georgia.
The coaches poll is below. Teams were given 12 points for a first-place vote, 11 for second and so on. Coaches were not permitted to rank their own teams.
| Rank | Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | Total |
| 1. | Montevallo | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 144 |
| 2. | North Georgia | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 132 |
| 3. | UNC Pembroke | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| 4. | Flagler | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98 |
| 5. | Augusta | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 97 |
| 6. | Columbus State | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 96 |
| 7. | Young Harris | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 91 |
| 8. | Georgia College | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 74 |
| 9. | Clayton State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 55 |
| 10. | USC Aiken | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 37 |
| 11. | Armstrong State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 35 |
| 12. | Ga. Southwestern | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 32 |
| 13. | Francis Marion | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 23 |