Men’s Cross Country Rated No. 8 in Preseason Poll

NAIA Preseason Top-25 Men's Cross Country

KANSAS CITY – The Taylor men's cross country opens the 2024 season ranked eighth in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Rating, released Thursday.

The Trojans move up two spots from the final 2023 poll, which was taken prior to their ninth-place finish at NAIA Nationals.

TU returns six of its top seven runners who competed at those national championships, led by NAIA All-American Nathan Burns, who begins just his sophomore campaign.

Other All-Crossroads League returners are Luke Harber and Ryan Hanak, as Taylor is set to feature a young-yet-experienced squad in 2024.

Crossroads League teams joining Taylor in the preseason top-25 are No. 23 Marian, No. 21 Goshen, No. 18 Spring Arbor and No. 4 Indiana Wesleyan.

TU opens the season on September 6 at the IWU Twilight Invitational. Race time is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET.