August 24, 2026

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Frontier Conference teams are ranked inside the 2026 NAIA Men’s Cross Country Coaches’ Top 25 Preseason Poll, announced Thursday (Aug. 20).

Rocky Mountain (Mont.), the preseason conference coaches’ favorite to repeat the title, collected 345 points and No. 14 ranking in the poll.  The Battlin’ Bears ended Carroll’s (Mont.) four consecutive titles last season. 

Carroll finished in a tie for No. 19 ranking with Doane (Neb.), with each team earning 200 points.

RMC finished fourth in last year’s NAIA national meet, while CC placed 16^th.

The Preseason Top 25 is the first of six ratings on the 2026 schedule, including four regular-season ratings – Sept. 24, Oct. 8, Oct. 15, and Oct. 29 – and final rating, Nov. 10, to determine at-large qualifiers for the 2026 NAIA National Championship on Nov. 20 in Vancouver, Wash.
 

Preseason - Aug. 20	#14	#19 (tie)