BURNSVILLE, Minn. — The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference released the 2025 NSIC Preseason men's cross country Coaches' Poll on Monday morning. Concordia-St. Paul was picked eighth, the Golden Bears were picked eighth in last season's poll as well. 

Concordia earned 81 points in the poll, ranking ahead of Northern State in ninth with 76 points. Winona State was picked ahead of Concordia with 101 points in seventh place. 

The Golden Bears finished eighth for the second consecutive year at the NSIC Championships, with 11 runners posting personal best times. With eight returning runners the Golden Bears look to continue to prove themselves. 

"The Golden Bears are entering the season with quiet confidence and a desire to prove themselves," Head Coach Jonathan Breitbarth said. "This year's roster features a strong blend of young, ambitious talent alongside experienced runners who lead by example." 

Among those ambitious and experienced runners on the roster is junior Andrew Alexander, who was tabbed as the Golden Bears Athlete to Watch. Alexander tallied career bests in the four-mile, 8K and 10K, placing 49th at the NSIC Championships with a time of 25:40.2.

"Andrew embodies the qualities every coach hopes to find in an athlete: relentless determination, humility and a strong sense of purpose," Breitbarth said. "When he first arrived on campus, he ran the 10K in 36 minutes. However, after years of consistent effort and trust in the training process, he has improved his time to 31:55 and finished 5th at the NSIC Outdoor Track and Field Championships."

Defending champion Augustana was picked first in the preseason poll with 165 points and 11 first-place votes after winning the NSIC for the fifth year in a row in 2024. MSU Moorhead came in second with 156 points and received the remaining four first-place votes. 

MSU Moorhead's Chase Hoechst was voted as the NSIC Preseason Athlete of the Year. Hoechst was named the 2024 NSIC Newcomer of the year after placing seventh at last year's NSIC Cross Country Championships, clocking a personal best 10K time of 31:38 and being named All-NSIC First Team. 

The NSIC Championships will be hosted by Wayne State on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Wayne Country Club in Wayne, Nebraska. The NCAA Central Regional will be held on Saturday, Nov. 8, in Joplin, Missouri, while the NCAA National Championships will take place on Nov. 22 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

The Golden Bears open the 2025 cross-country season in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the Augie Twilight on Sept. 5.