RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - Three teams make up the eight first-place votes in the 2026 GAC men's cross country preseason coaches' poll, with East Central picking up five of them for the top spot with 46 total points. Harding added one first-place vote and 42 total points, edging Oklahoma Baptist's 41 total points despite the Bison's two first-place nods to fill out the top three.
Ouachita Baptist (31), Northwestern Oklahoma State (22), Southern Arkansas (21), Southern Nazarene (14) and Arkansas-Monticello (7) completed the balloting.
The title-favorite Tigers return 2025 GAC individual champion Donald Kipsang with an 8K time of 23:56 and conference runner-up Kennedy Bett with a 24:03 8K time. Three of last year's top six runners donned the orange and black for head coach Steve Sawyer's squad.
Harding returns its top conference performer from a year ago in bronze medalist Noah Haileab with a time of 24:13. Head coach Don Hood will be tasked with replacing 2025's eighth-place runner Nate Perry, while still retaining Ryan McCarn after placing ninth individually last year with a 24:36 run.
On the Bisons' heels is the Bison of Oklahoma Baptist, which, despite losing its top 2025 conference runner, does bring back Emory Crayton's fifth-place run of 24:17 and Zach Williams, who placed tenth at 24:38.
Ouachita Baptist head coach Steve Guymon sees two of his top seven gone from a year ago while 2025 GAC Freshman of the Year and seventh-place runner Caleb Greenwich returns to Arkadelphia.
Northwestern Oklahoma State returns its top conference runner from a year ago in Riley Herndon, who placed 26th with a time of 25:35 at the conference meet. Southern Arkansas will need to replace Wesley Maxwell (25:03, 17th) and Lyndon Orr (25:22, 22nd), both of whom placed top-25 a year ago at conference.
Second-year Southern Nazarene head coach Colten Covington comes into 2026 with seven newcomers by way of six freshmen and one sophomore transfer while returning senior Keith Howerton, who placed 93rd with a time of 28:34 at last year's meet. Arkansas-Monticello returns 2025's second top performer in junior James Perry (31:06, 106th) while bringing in 4:31-1600m freshman Aidan Tinker.
All eight programs will compete at the 2026 GAC Cross Country Championships hosted by Northwestern Oklahoma State in Enid, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 7
2026 GAC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
| Rank |
School |
Total Points |
1st-Place Votes |
| 1 |
East Central |
46 |
5 |
| 2 |
Harding |
42 |
1 |
| 3 |
Oklahoma Baptist |
41 |
2 |
| 4 |
Ouachita Baptist |
31 |
|
| 5 |
Northwestern Oklahoma State |
22 |
|
| 6 |
Southern Arkansas |
21 |
|
| 7 |
Southern Nazarene |
14 |
|
| 8 |
Arkansas-Monticello |
7 |
|