BURNSVILLE, Minn. — The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference released the 2026 Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday morning. Concordia-St. Paul was picked to finish ninth in the poll after finishing eighth in the NSIC last season. The Golden Bears earned a total of 101 points in the poll, coming in ahead of Jamestown with 88 points in the preseason poll.
CSP capped last season with an eighth place finish at the NSIC Championships for the third consecutive season. The last time the Golden Bears finished inside the top 10 in a three-year span was the 2017-19 seasons.
With eight returners from last year's squad, CSP will look to build on their recent run of top 10 finishes.
"Our men's team is building on maturity and commitment," Head Coach Jonathan Breitbarth said. "With everyone focused on working together, we are excited to see how our dedication moves us forward from September through November. We are ready to make big progress this year by staying united and supporting each other as one team."
One of the returners looking to make progress this season is junior Travis Tock who was selected as the Golden Bears Athlete to Watch entering the 2026 season. Tock capped off his junior season with a 47th place finish at the NSIC Championships with a time of 26:58.2, climbing 48 spots from his 95th place finish in 2024.
The Sheboygan, Wisconsin native competed in six races for the Golden Bears and set a new personal best 10k time of 33:44.0 at the NCAA Central Region Championships to end his sophomore campaign.
"Travis is a dependable leader who brings a tremendous work ethic, steady dedication and positive energy to every practice," Breitbarth said. "He is an athlete every coach loves to work with, and his commitment to excellence makes him someone to watch in the NSIC this year."
Six-time defending NSIC champion Augustana finished atop the preseason poll after receiving 196 points and 14 first place votes. MSU Moorhead was picked to finish second with 182 points and one first place vote, Minnesota State, UMary and Sioux Falls rounded out the top five.
Augustana's Bryant Keller was voted the NSIC Preseason Athlete to Watch. Keller was named All-NSIC First Team after finishing third at the NSIC Championships last season, while coming in ninth at the NCAA Central Region Championships.
The NSIC Championships will take place Saturday, November 7 at Yankton Trails in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, hosted by Augustana. The NCAA Central Region Championships are set for Saturday, November 21 at the Tom Rutledge Country Club in Joplin, Missouri.
The Golden Bears open the 2026 season on Friday, September 4 at the Augie Twilight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
