ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Anderson University Men's Coss Country program secured the No. 2 spot while the women are tabbed for No. 3 in the 2026 South Atlantic Conference Preseason Poll, as announced by the league on Thursday.
On the men's side, Anderson earned one first place vote to sit behind reigning conference champions No. 1 Wingate (11). The women are also joined by No. 1 Wingate (11) and No. 2 Catawba (1) in the poll.
In addition to the rankings, the conference also announced the 2026 Cross Country season Runners to Watch List with four Trojans earning the distinction.
On the men's side, junior Will Cronin (Lexington, S.C.) and sophomore
Grayson Gibbons (Simpsonville, S.C.) have been named Runners to Watch. Last season, both Trojans helped lead the Black & Gold to an 8th-place team finish at the 2025 NCAA National Championships in Kenosha, Wis. Cronin finished third for the Trojans, placing 84th overall with a 10k time of 31:26.6. Gibbons finished closely behind with a time of 31:31.2 to secure a 92nd-place finish at the championships.
Senior
Kennedy Roush (Greer, S.C.) and junior Beth Ludwick (Roebuck, S.C.) have been named Athletes to Watch on the women's side. Roush secured her first-ever ticket to an NCAA Championship during the 2025 season, finishing 48th out of 262 with a program record 6k time of 21:14.2 after finishing 2nd at the NCAA Div. II Southeast Regional Championships. Ludwick helped contribute to the team's fourth place regional finish with a 6k time of 22:49.6, crossing the line 19th out of 174 finishers.
The Black & Gold open its 2026 campaign when they take the short trip to Spartanburg, S.C. on Saturday, Sept. 19. to compete at the Converse XC Classic, hosted by Converse University.
2026 SAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Wingate (11) 121
2
. Anderson (1) 109
3. Catawba 102
4. Lincoln Memorial 92
5. Lenoir-Rhyne 70
6. Emory & Henry 61
7. Mars Hill 56
8. Tusculum 55
9. UVA Wise 52
10. Carson-Newman 36
11. Newberry 28
12. Coker 11
2026 SAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Wingate (11) 121
2. Catawba (1) 109
3. Anderson 103
4. Lincoln Memorial 97
5. Lenoir-Rhyne 76
6. Carson-Newman 73
7. Mars Hill 62
8. Emory & Henry 50
9. UVA Wise 39
10. Tusculum 31
11. Newberry 20
12. Coker 11
Runners to Watch:
Anderson
Men:
Grayson Gibbons, Will Cronin
Women:
Kennedy Roush, Beth Ludwick
Carson-Newman
Men: Bryson Burkett, Wesley Thomas
Women: Jenna Pittman, Keirieonna Wilson
Catawba
Men: Ian Pierce, Seth Caudill
Women: Hannah Caudill, Morgan Pollard
Coker
Men: Jake Popkowski, Nathan Allen
Women: Amelia Artz, Claire Lowrimore
Emory & Henry
Men: Davis Norman, Aidan Trautman, Tyler Davis
Women: Tess Somervell, McKenzie Tate, Violet Riddle
Lenoir-Rhyne
Men: Ilias El Khattabi, Preston Sangely
Women: Saoirse McNulty, Zoila Sicilia
Lincoln Memorial
Men: Jaxson Branham, Conner Chandler
Women: Jacie Begley, Weslyn McIntosh
Mars Hill
Men: Sean Sanchez, Brandon McNulty
Women: Sophie Ratcliff, Lola Korth
Newberry
Men: Camden Longdon, Drew Benson
Women: Olivia Hare, Alexis Fonseca
Tusculum
Men: Bernardo Pancas, Conan Harper
Women: Jesica Mbhamali, Hannah McLain
UVA Wise
Men: Dylan Colander, Patton Shortt
Women: Alexsis Porter, Shaylen Cannon
Wingate
Men: Mohamed Dahmouch, David Holman
Women: Abi Bester, Kiara Bester
