Indianapolis, Ind. – After claiming their third consecutive and 18th overall Great Lakes Valley Conference Men's Cross Country Championship last season, the Lewis University Men's Cross Country team was picked to finish first in the GLVC Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league office on Tuesday.
The Flyers dominated the ranking with 11 first-place votes, totaling 121 points. Missouri S&T was the only other team to receive a first-place vote and was tabbed second place with 105 total points. Rounding out the top three was Illinois Springfield with 100 points. Drury was picked to finish fourth with 94 points, while Indianapolis was selected to finish fifth with 82 total points. Southwest Baptist (68), Rockhurst (63), Maryville (48), Truman State (39), Missouri-St. Louis (32), McKendree (27), and Quincy (13) closed out the remaining rankings.
The Flyers are returning two strong runners from last season in All-GLVC honorees
Evan Horgan (Loves Park, Ill./Belvidere North) and
Jack Roberts (Frankfort, Ill./Lincolnway East). Horgan placed first at the GLVC Championships with a time of 23:26.27 and finished second at the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional with a time of 30:21.77. Horgan then placed seventh at the NCAA Championships with a time of 29:53.8, landing All-American accolades. Roberts returns after finishing ninth at the GLVC Championships (24:30.66) and placed 20th at the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional (31:25.37).
Reigning GLVC Coach of the Year
James Kearney returns for his 16th season as the head coach. After leading the program to a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championship last season, Kearney looks to build on that success in 2026. Since 2010, Kearney has helped mentor seven NCAA Cross Country All-Americans, 51 All-Midwest region athletes, and 106 All-GLVC honorees.
The season starts rolling on Friday, September 4, with the Flyer Early Bird. The Flyers will then return home on Saturday, October 10, to host the annual Lewis Crossover.
For the latest news and updates on Lewis men's cross country, visit LewisFlyers.com and follow the Flyers on social media at @Lewisxctrack on Instagram.
