GREENVILLE, S.C. – Three-time defending Conference Carolinas men's cross country champion, UNC Pembroke has been picked as the favorite in the 2025 Conference Carolinas Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll.
The Braves received all 15 first place votes and 225 points to edge 2024 runner-up Converse University for the top spot. The Valkyries earned the final first place vote and 202 points to claim he second spot. Lees-McRae College came in third with 190 points ahead of Belmont Abbey College in fourth with 181 points. Southern Wesleyan received 173 points to be picked fifth.
Young Harris College came in sixth with 164 points while North Greenville University is seventh with 134 points. The University of Mount Olive and King University are eighth and ninth with 127 and 107 points, respectively. Erskine College closed out the top 10 with 87 points.
Barton College (82), Emmanuel University (78), Francis Marion University (52), Shorter University (49), Ferrum College (44) and Chowan University (25), rounded out the poll.
The 2025 Conference Carolinas Men's Cross Country Championship will take place on Friday, October 24 at 3:00 p.m. at the Ivey Redmon Course in Kernersville, North Carolina.
The preseason poll was voted on by the league's head coaches and they can't vote for their own school.
2025 Conference Carolinas
Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
|
School |
Total (First Place) |
| 1 |
UNC Pembroke |
225 (15) |
| 2 |
Converse |
202 (1) |
| 3 |
Lees-McRae |
190 |
| 4 |
Belmont Abbey |
181 |
| 5 |
Southern Wesleyan |
173 |
| 6 |
Young Harris |
164 |
| 7 |
North Greenville |
134 |
| 8 |
Mount Olive |
127 |
| 9 |
King |
107 |
| 10 |
Erskine |
87 |
| 11 |
Barton |
82 |
| 12 |
Emmanuel |
78 |
| 13 |
Francis Marion |
52 |
| 14 |
Shorter |
49 |
| 15 |
Ferrum |
44 |
| 16 |
Chowan |
25 |
2025 Conference Carolinas Men's Cross Country
Players to Watch
Barton
- Nolan Gamwell, So., Stantonsburg, North Carolina
- Jacob Oliver, Jr., Winchester, Virginia
- Trey Lamb, So., Wilson, North Caorlina
Belmont Abbey
- John Hetzel, Jr., Charlotte, North Carolina (2024 All-Conference Carolinas second team)
- Clinton Hubbard, Sr., Wilmington, North Carolina
- Jake Legato, So., Goshen, New York
Chowan
- Andrew Garrison, Sr., Franklin, North Carolina
- Kevin Padilla, Fr., Wilson, North Carolina
- Scott Cathcart, Jr., Hamilton, New Zealand
Converse
- Ander Vera Moleres, So., Pamplona, Spain (2024 All-Conference Carolinas second team)
- Alex Porter, So., Simpsonville, South Carolina
- Jaxon Wright, Sr., Mauldin, South Carolina
Emmanuel
- Zaylen Alexander, So., Stockbridge, Georgia
- Brando Araujo, Fr., Gainesville, Georgia
- Angel Aviles, Fr., Dalton, Georgia
Erskine
- Matthew Penland, Jr., Walhalla, South Carolina
- Ekaitz Tejado, So., San Sebastian, Spain
- Colby Wines, Jr., Spartanburg, South Carolina
Ferrum
- Seth Truett, Fr., Apex, North Carolina
- Josh Mills, Sr., Hardy, Virginia
- Carlos Menendez, Fr., Portsmouth, Virginia
Francis Marion
- Luis Cedeno, Fr., Florence, South Carolina
- Jaden Alexander, Fr., Lancaster, South Carolina
- Caleb Gary, So., Greenville, South Carolina
King
- Lance Hatcher, Jr., Maryville, Tennessee
- Cole Johnson, So., Lexington, North Carolina
- Evan Deichert, Jr., Knoxville, Tennessee
Lees-McRae
- Josh Brett, Sr., St. Augustine, Florida (2024 All-Conference Carolinas first team)
- Isaac Reyna, Sr., Thomasville, North Carolina
- Dom Bruzzo-Morrello, Fr., Marion, Virginia
Mount Olive
- Evan Hall, Jr., Apex, North Carolina
- Josh Hendren, Sr., Benson, North Carolina
- Ayden Thompson, So., East Peoria, Illinois
UNC Pembroke
- Kelvin Kibet, So., Uganda, (Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year)
- Ryan Ibarra, So., Wilmington, North Carolina (All-Conference Carolinas second team)
- Conrad Robertson, Jr., New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada
North Greenville
- Thomas Schilling, Jr., Brandon, Florida
- Joel Herman, Jr., Lamoille, Nevada
- Joseph McBride, Fr., Spartanburg, South Carolina
Shorter
- Paul Schedlbauer, Sr., Vienna, Austria
- Chase Jarvis, Jr., Chatsworth, Georgia
- Landon Richardson, Jr.
Southern Wesleyan
- Ronan O'Neill, Sr., Pendleton, South Carolina (2024 USTFCCCA NCAA DII All-Region, 2024 & 2023 Conference Carolinas Runner of the Year, 2024 All-Conference Carolinas first team, 2022 USTFCCCA NCAA DII All-Southeast Region third team, 2022 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year and All-Conference Carolinas first team)
- Drew Jones, Sr., Riverview, Florida (2024 All-Conference Carolinas second team, 2023 All-Conference Carolinas third team, 2022 All-Conference Carolinas second team)
- Caleb Richardson, So., Piedmont, South Carolina
Young Harris
- Wyatt Whipp, Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Aidan Vrazel, So., Atlanta, Georgia
- Noah Mason, Sr., Raymond, Mississippi