Men's Cross Country 8/20/2026 3:00:00 PM Clayton Messerle, Assistant Athletic Director

Corban Men’s Cross Country Opens 2026 Campaign Ranked No. 6 in NAIA Preseason Top 25 Poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The NAIA Men's Cross Country Preseason Top 25 Poll was released earlier today by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Corban University men's cross country program will open the 2026 season ranked No. 6 in the nation after another outstanding campaign on the national stage in 2025.

To view the complete 2026 NAIA Men's Cross Country Preseason Top 25 Poll, click HERE.

"Being recognized among the best programs in the country is a reflection of the commitment and hard work our student-athletes and coaching staff have invested in this program," said Corban associate head coach Stuart Eagon. "We're grateful for the recognition, but our goals remain focused on daily improvement, competing with excellence, and representing Christ in all that we do. This ranking honors what we've accomplished historically, but we're excited about what this group can achieve in 2026."

The Warriors enter the 2026 season with significant momentum after producing the strongest team season in program history. Corban concluded the 2025 campaign with a 13th-place team finish at the NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship in Tallahassee, Florida, scoring 383 points against the nation's top programs. The Warriors were led by now senior standout Jack Gladfelter, who earned NAIA All-American honors with an impressive 11th-place finish nationally, while teammate Zander Moha added a top 35 performance by finishing 34th overall to also earn All-American accolades.

Corban's national relevance has continued to grow over the past several seasons, highlighted by consistent appearances in the national rankings and strong performances at both the conference and national levels. The Warriors have established themselves as one of the premier distance-running programs in the Cascade Collegiate Conference and throughout the NAIA, regularly competing against nationally ranked opposition and producing All-American performers.

Heading into 2026, the Warriors are also expected to contend near the top of the conference standings. Corban was selected third in the recent Cascade Collegiate Conference preseason coaches' poll and enters the year as the second-highest ranked CCC institution in the NAIA national poll, trailing only No. 3-ranked Southern Oregon University.

The preseason national rankings are topped by Cumberlands (Ky.), which received 10 first-place votes after finishing third at last season's national championship. Defending national champion Indiana Wesleyan University sits second, followed by Southern Oregon, Milligan University, and The Master's University. Corban rounds out the national top six entering the 2026 campaign.

2026 NAIA Men's Cross Country Preseason Top 25 Poll

Rank Institution [First-Place Votes] Points

1. Cumberlands (Ky.) [10] 542

2 Indiana Wesleyan [7] 540

3. Southern Oregon 522

4. Milligan (Tenn.) [1] 499

5. The Master's (Calif.) [2] 486

6. Corban (Ore.) 436

7. College of Idaho 434

8. Marian (Ind.) 405

9. Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 404

10. Trinity Western (B.C.) 395

11. Taylor (Ind.) 357

12. Madonna (Mich.) 355

13. Eastern Oregon 353

14. Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 345

15. Saint Mary (Kan.) 334

16. Goshen (Ind.) 323

17. Park (Mo.) 280

18. Rio Grande (Ohio) 225

T19. Carroll (Mont.) 200

T19. Doane (Neb.) 200

21. Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 164

22. Cornerstone (Mich.) 153

23. Montreat (N.C.) 135

24. St. Francis (Ill.) 123

25. Spring Arbor (Mich.) 117

Receiving Votes: IU East (Ind.), Tennessee Southern, Aquinas (Mich.), Northwest (Wash.), Dordt (Iowa), Columbia (Mo.), Oklahoma City, Ave Maria (Fla.), Haskell Indian Nations (Kan.), Oregon Tech, Kansas Wesleyan, Benedictine (Kan.), Concordia (Neb.), John Brown (Ark.), Mount Mercy (Iowa).

The first regular season NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches Polls will be released on Thursday, September 24th.