CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern men's cross country will again run on a target on its back this fall when it returns to the courses for four regular-season meets leading into the conference championships and postseason, as announced by head coach Jim Stintzi. The Buccaneers, who have won the Big South title each of the last-two seasons, were also picked by the other coaches around the league to claim a third-straight crown.

The campaign gets underway in the Lowcountry with the program playing host to the CSU Buccaneer XC Invitational, Friday September 2, at the CSU Cross Country Course. The meet is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

The Bucs will then head to the Tar Heel State for the North Carolina State-hosted adidas XC Challenge Sept. 16 before rounding out the month two weeks later back within the state borders in Conway for the Chanticleer Challenge, hosted by Coastal Carolina, Sept. 30.

Charleston Southern's final regular-season tune-up will be October 14 when they head to Madison, Wisconsin, for the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational presented by Under Armour where they will compete against some of the top runners nationally.

For the first time in 2022, the Buccaneers will run on a Saturday when Longwood plays host to the Big South Championships Oct. 29 in Farmville, Virginia, as the squad looks to extend its current hold over its league peers.

The NCAA Southeast Regional is set for November 11 in Louisville, Kentucky, while the NCAA Championships, which has featured a Buc runner each of the last-two seasons, will be in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Nov. 19.

Charleston Southern earned eight of the possible 10 first-place votes to stake claim to the top spot in the preseason poll. The Buccaneers were slotted ahead of last year's runner up, High Point.

2022 SCHEDULE
Sept. 2 – CSU Buccaneer XC Invitational (Charleston, S.C.) – 9 a.m.
Sept. 16 – adidas XC Challenge (Cary, N.C.) – TBA
Sept. 30 – Chanticeer Challenge (Conway, S.C.) – TBA
Oct. 14 – Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational presented by Under Armour (Madison, Wis.) – Noon
Oct. 29 – Big South Championships (Farmville, Va.) – 10 a.m.
Nov. 11 – NCAA Southeast Regional (Louisville, Ky.) – TBA
Nov. 19 – NCAA Championships (Stillwater, Okla.) – 9 a.m.

PRESEASON POLL
1. Charleston Southern, 98 points (8 first-place votes)
2. High Point, 87 (1)
3. UNC Asheville, 76
4. Radford, 68
5. Campbell, 61 (1)
6. USC Upstate, 56
7. Winthrop, 37
8. Longwood, 32
9. Gardner-Webb, 21
10. Presbyterian, 14