INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced its 2026 men's and women's cross country preseason coaches' polls on Tuesday, Aug. 25, with Drury picked to finish fourth and fifth, respectively. 
 
The men's cross country team earned 94 points, placing fourth behind third-place Illinois Springfield with 100 points, second-place Missouri S&T with 105 points, and top-ranked Lewis, which received 11 first-place votes and 121 points.
 
The women's cross country team totaled 125 points, placing fifth in the poll. The Panthers sit one point behind fourth-place Illinois Springfield at 126 points. The top three consist of Maryville with 129 points, Southwest Baptist with 152 points, and top-ranked Lewis with 169 points and 13 first-place votes. 
 
Last season, the men's squad finished fifth at the GLVC Championships. Tyler Harris returns as the GLVC runner-up after breaking the program record in the 8K with a time of 23:51.13. The women's program finished sixth at the GLVC Championships last season. The Panthers were led by returner Cera Eckenroth, who placed fourth overall in 21:48.73, a time that ranks sixth in the 6K in school history. Harris and Eckenroth each went on to earn All-Region honors, with Harris additionally being named GLVC Men's Cross Country Fall Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
Head coach Luke Karamitros returns for his third season leading the Panthers. Karamitros coached four All-GLVC selections, two All-Region honorees, and one NCAA national qualifier last fall. 
 
The 2026 GLVC Cross Country Championships will take place on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Allison Sports Town in Springfield. 

LOOKING AHEAD
The Drury cross country programs open their 2026 season on Sept. 5, competing at the Bearcat Invite, hosted by Southwest Baptist in Bolivar, Mo. 

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