slideshow

Southeastern sixth in GAC preseason poll:

DURANT, Okla. - Southeastern football opens the 2012 football season in a four way tie for sixth place in the Great American Conference preseason poll released on Tuesday.

The Savage Storm joins Arkansas-Monticello, Southern Arkansas and Southwestern Oklahoma State in the tie with each team earning 22 points in the poll which is voted on by the league’s head coaches.

The Storm defeated SAU early in the year by a 24-21 margin, but fell to SWOSU 23-20 and UAM 24-20.

Parity is to be expected as SE only had one of its eight losses in 2011 decided by more than 10 points.

Preparation for the 2012 season began on Aug. 9 with the opener slated Sept. 1 with a 6 p.m. start time at Texas A&M-Commerce.

The home portion of the schedule opens Sept. 15 when the Savage Storm hosts Southern Arkansas at 6 p.m.

Henderson State topped the poll with 57 points and four first place votes, while East Central and Ouachita Baptist tied for second with 54 points each. ECU logged three first place votes and OBU had two.

Harding was tabbed fourth with 42 points, while Arkansas Tech came in fifth with 29.

The poll did not include GAC newcomers Northwestern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene.

SE Volleyball third in preseason poll:

DURANT, Okla. – After posting its highest conference finish in School history in 2011, Southeastern has been picked to match that number for a second season after being tabbed third in the Great American Conference preseason poll released on Wednesday.

The Savage Storm picked up 43 points in the poll that is voted on by the league’s head coaches, edging out fourth place Southern Arkansas who had 42 points.

Despite a 14-19 record overall, SE finished 10-6 in conference play and entered the GAC tournament with a No. 3 seed before being upset by SAU in the opening round.

Southeastern will open the season on Aug. 31 when it opens play in the two-day Rattler-Hilltopper Classic in Austin, Texas, and will open the home portion of the schedule on Sept. 11 when it hosts Southern Nazarene at 7 p.m. in Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium.

Arkansas Tech is favored to win the league for the season-straight year with 64 points and eight first place votes, while Harding is tabbed second with 54 points and one first place vote.

East Central was fifth in the poll, followed by Ouachita Baptist, Southwestern Oklahoma State, Arkansas Monticello and Henderson State.

Eight teams advance to the conference tournament which is scheduled for Nov. 15-17 and will be held at the top seeds home court.

GAC new additions Southern Nazarene and Northwestern Oklahoma State are not eligible for postseason competition and thus are not ranked in this poll.