WINTHROP, Mass. — Heading into the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Cross Country Championship, the conference's 10 head coaches have voted Saint Joseph's College of Maine the favorite in the 2026 pre-championship poll. The defending champion Monks earned eight first-place votes and 95 points to claim the top spot.
Norwich University follows in second with 90 points and two first-place votes. Emmanuel College ranks third with 81 points, followed by Lasell University in fourth with 71 points and Colby-Sawyer College in fifth with 56 points.
Dean College ranks sixth with 44 points, followed by Regis College in seventh with 37 points and Elms College in eighth with 29 points. Mitchell College ranks ninth with 27 points, while New England College rounds out the poll in 10th with 18 points.
RUNNERS TO WATCH:
Graduate student Jacob Pelletier (Augusta, Maine), a three-time First Team All-Conference honoree and 2023 GNAC champion, has earned four Runner of the Week honors this fall. He won individual titles at the GNAC Preview and Coach Dann Runnin' Monks Classic.
Freshman Sam Tooley (Camden, Maine), a four-time GNAC Rookie of the Week, finished second at both meets, posting times of 24:35 at the GNAC Preview and 27:16 at the Coach Dann Classic.
Junior Isaac Keresey (Pittsfield, Maine) earned First Team All-Conference honors with a sixth-place finish in 28:11 during last year's championship run. He recently placed fifth at the Coach Dann Classic in 28:41.4.
Men's XC Pre-Championship Poll Results:
- Saint Joseph's (Maine) (8) – 95
- Norwich (2) – 90
- Emmanuel – 81
- Lasell – 71
- Colby-Sawyer – 56
- Dean – 44
- Regis – 37
- Elms – 29
- Mitchell – 27
- New England College – 18
