Men's Cross Country | 08/22/24 | 3:20 PM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced both its Men's and Women's Cross Country Top 25 Preseason Coaches' Ratings. The Carroll College Men appear at No. 15 in the national rating, while the Carroll Women are in the receiving votes category.

Following a 20th place finish at the 2023 NAIA Cross Country Championships last fall, the Carroll Men will begin their year as the No. 15 team in the nation. 

The three-time defending Frontier Conference Champions have established themselves as perennial contenders, and the group appear to be as strong as ever heading into the 2024 season.

The Fighting Saints are loaded with talent, returning All-Conference runners Zack Gacnik (Confier, Colo. / JR), Connor O'Hara (Ulm, Mont. / SR), Zach Rector (Portland, Ore. / SR), and Brycen Gardner (Spokane, Wash. / JR).

The No. 15 rating for the Men is the highest mark to begin the year under the direction of Head Coach Shannon Flynn.

On the Women's side, the four-time defending Frontier Champions are the top receiving votes team in the nation, just missing out on a Top-25 rating.

A trio of All-Conference runners return to the Women's team for the 2024 season; Isabelle Ruff (Concord, Calif. / SO), Anna Terry (Chinook, Mont. / SO), and Hannah Sempf (Columbia Falls, Mont. / JR) and the Saints will certainly contend for an unprecedented fifth-consecutive Frontier title this Fall.

Both the Men and Women will begin their season next Friday, August 30 at the Bobcat Twilight Meet, held by Montana State in Bozeman.

To view the full ratings for the Men, click HERE.

To view the full ratings for the Women, click HERE.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com to continue to stay up to date on everything going on in Carroll Athletics.

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