Julie Drewes

Men's and Women's Cross Country Featured in USTFCCCA and D3 Glory Days Preseason Polls

8/27/2026 12:48:00 PM

WAVERLY, Iowa --- Wartburg men's and women's cross country both were featured in national preseason rankings this week as each team earned a spot in both the USTFCCCA preseason polls as well as the D3 Glory Days preseason polls.

The men's team were voted No. 3 in the D3 Glory Days poll and No. 4 in the USTFCCCA poll, while the women's team were tabbed No. 26 in the USTFCCA poll as well as No. 30 in the D3 Glory Days poll.

The Knights will open the 2026 campaign with their annual John Kurtt Invite on Saturday, Sept. 5 at home beginning at 10 a.m.

USTFCCCA Polls - Preseason
Men's

RANK	TEAM & INFO	PTS	2025 FINAL
1	UW-LA CROSSE North Region (1) WIAC Derek Stanley (15th)	290 (5 fpv)	1
2	JOHNS HOPKINS Mid-Atlantic Region (1) Centennial Cullen Doody (2nd)	289 (4 fpv)	6
3	NYU Niagara Region (1) UAA Tyler Deck Shipley (6th)	286 (1 fpv)	4
4	WARTBURG Midwest Region (1) American Rivers Ryan Chapman (11th)	268	3
5	SUNY GENESEO Niagara Region (2) Empire 8 Dan Moore (12th)	267	2
6	TUFTS Northeast Region (1) NESCAC Jamie Norton (3rd)	245	7
7	CHICAGO Midwest Region (2) UAA Chris Hall (26th)	232	12
8	POMONA-PITZER West Region (1) SCIAC Emma DeLira (4th)	231	8
9	RPI Mideast Region (1) Liberty League John Lynch (16th)	224	5
10	CARNEGIE MELLON Mid-Atlantic Region (2) UAA Tim Connelly (12th)	216	15
11	UW-STEVENS POINT North Region (2) WIAC Thomas Bambach (5th)	194	18
12	WASHINGTON AND LEE South Region (1) ODAC Brandon Spalding (14th)	190	20
13	AMHERST Mideast Region (2) NESCAC Hannah Chappell-Dick (4th)	178	11
14	NORTH CENTRAL (ILL.) Midwest Region (3) CCIW Matt Sinnott (5th)	164	10
15	MIDDLEBURY Mideast Region (3) NESCAC Nicole B Wilkerson (15th)	153	21
16	UW-PLATTEVILLE North Region (3) WIAC James Akita (4th)	142	19
17	WASHINGTON (MO.) Midwest Region (4) UAA Jeff Stiles (26th)	141	16
18	LEBANON VALLEY Mid-Atlantic Region (3) MAC James O'Brien (19th)	134	22
19	WILLIAMS Mideast Region (4) NESCAC Dusty López (4th)	128	14
20	MIT Northeast Region (2) NEWMAC Riley Macon (5th)	106	9
21	HOPE Great Lakes Region (1) MIAA Mark Northuis (39th)	104	23
22	CLAREMONT-MUDD-SCRIPPS West Region (2) SCIAC Marina Muncan (7th)	87	28
23	ST. OLAF North Region (4) MIAC Luke Kopnick (1st)	84	13
24	LYNCHBURG South Region (2) ODAC Sam Llaneza (2nd)	72	26
25	WESLEYAN (CONN.) Mideast Region (5) NESCAC Leo Mayo (6th)	67	17
26	BATES Northeast Region (3) NESCAC Danny Feldman (5th)	49	---
27	ROSE-HULMAN Great Lakes Region (2) HCAC Derick Lawrence (5th)	37	29
28	UW-STOUT North Region (5) WIAC Matt Schauf (20th)	31	---
29	COLORADO COLLEGE West Region (3) SCAC Alex Nichols (7th)	22	25
30	CENTRAL (IOWA) Midwest Region (5) American Rivers Joe Dunham (19th)	11	---

Also Receiving Votes: John Carroll 5, George Fox 2, Connecticut College 1

Women's

RANK	TEAM & INFO	PTS	2025 FINAL
1	NYU Niagara Region (1) UAA Tyler Deck Shipley (6th)	300 (10 fpv)	1
2	WILLIAMS Mideast Region (1) NESCAC Dusty López (4th)	290	2
3	JOHNS HOPKINS Mid-Atlantic Region (1) Centennial Bobby Van Allen (27th)	279	4
4	CLAREMONT-MUDD-SCRIPPS West Region (1) SCIAC Marina Muncan (7th)	270	3
5	MIDDLEBURY Mideast Region (2) NESCAC Nicole B Wilkerson (16th)	250	8
6	TUFTS Northeast Region (1) NESCAC Jamie Norton (3rd)	248	11
7	CHICAGO Midwest Region (1) UAA Chris Hall (26th)	239	17
8	UW-LA CROSSE North Region (1) WIAC Derek Stanley (15th)	230	12
9	POMONA-PITZER West Region (2) SCIAC Emma DeLira (4th)	218	14
10	WASHINGTON (MO.) Midwest Region (2) UAA Jeff Stiles (26th)	214	7
11	VASSAR Mideast Region (3) Liberty League James McCowan (22nd)	201	10
12	MIT Northeast Region (2) NEWMAC Riley Macon (5th)	195	5
13	CARNEGIE MELLON Mid-Atlantic Region (2) UAA Tim Connelly (12th)	177	6
14	HOPE Great Lakes Region (1) MIAA Mark Northuis (39th)	163	26
15	EMORY South Region (1) UAA Linh Nguyen (8th)	162	18
16	WASHINGTON AND LEE South Region (2) ODAC Michael Dager (13th)	152	15
17	CARLETON North Region (2) MIAC Donna Ricks (34th)	147	13
18	AMHERST Mideast Region (4) NESCAC Hannah Chappell-Dick (4th)	129	16
19	SUNY GENESEO Niagara Region (2) Empire 8 Dan Moore (12th)	126	22
20	UW-EAU CLAIRE North Region (3) WIAC Dan Schwamberger (20th)	108	20
21	TRINITY (TEXAS) West Region (3) SAA Emily Daum (13th)	100	27
22	CALVIN Great Lakes Region (2) MIAA Nicole Kramer (5th)	92	21
23	COLORADO COLLEGE West Region (4) SCAC Alex Nichols (7th)	71	24
24	OHIO WESLEYAN Great Lakes Region (3) NCAC Ben Carlson (11th)	64	---
25	CONNECTICUT COLLEGE Mideast Region (5) NESCAC Ned Bishop (42nd)	56	19
26	WARTBURG Midwest Region (3) American Rivers Ryan Chapman (11th)	44	23
27	ST. OLAF North Region (4) MIAC Erica Maker (9th)	43	29
28	SUFFOLK Northeast Region (3) CNE William Feldman (10th)	39	30
29	JOHN CARROLL Great Lakes Region (4) NCAC Steve Fuelling (3rd)	23	---
30	CENTRAL (IOWA) Midwest Region (4) American Rivers Joe Dunham (8th)	12	---