HELENA, Mont. – The Frontier Conference has announced the results of its Men's and Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Polls. The Defending Frontier Conference champion Carroll Women were tabbed as the favorite, while the Men were tabbed runner-up in their poll.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team in the preseason poll.

On the Women's side of the action, the Fighting Saints collected nine first-place votes and totaled 100 points to take the top spot in the 11-team preseason poll.

Carroll enters the 2026 season after capturing its fifth Frontier Conference championship in the past six years. The Fighting Saints won the 2025 conference title at Amend Park in Billings, Mont., scoring 58 points in the 6-kilometer race. Carroll placed four runners consecutively from ninth through 12th, with the fifth scoring runner finishing 16th. CC placed 20th in last year's NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championship.

Montana Tech received the other first-place vote and finished second with 91 points. Dakota State was selected third with 74 points, followed closely by Rocky in fourth with 71 points. Bellevue rounded out the top five with 65 points.

Bismarck State was sixth with 61 points. Dickinson State followed in seventh with 41 points, Montana Western was eighth with 34 points and Valley City State (N.D.) ninth with 32 points. MSU-Northern and Providence tied for 10th with 18 points apiece.

Over on the Men's side of the Coaches' Poll, Rocky edged Carroll for the top spot in the ranks. The Saints received three first-place votes and are at No. 2 with 91 points.

Carroll finished runner-up with 50 points in last year's Frontier Conference Championship meet, placing four runners among the top 14 scoring positions. The second place finish snapped a four-year streak as Champions, but the Saints still qualified for the NAIA National Meet last season, finishing  16^th. 

Dakota State was picked third in the 2026 preseason poll with 77 points, just one point ahead of Bellevue with 76 points. Montana Tech was selected fifth in this year's preseason poll with 68 points. Bismarck State followed in sixth with 54 points, while Dickinson State was seventh with 53 points. Valley City State was picked eighth with 32 points. MSU-Northern and Montana Western tied for ninth with 25 points apiece, while Providence rounded out the poll in 11th with 12 points.

The Frontier Conference Cross Country Championships will return to Amend Park in Billings, hosted by Rocky Mountain.  The conference meet will be held on Friday, Nov. 6.

The team winners receive the Frontier Conference's automatic bid to the NAIA Cross Country National Championships at Fort Vancouver Historic Site in Vancouver, Wash., on Friday, Nov. 20.
 

2026 Frontier Conference Women's Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Poll
RANK	SCHOOL	POINTS (FIRST PLACE VOTES)
1		100 (9)
2		91 (1)
3		74
4		71
5		65
6		61
7		41
8		34
9		32
T-10		18
T-10		18

 

2026 Frontier Conference Men's Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Poll
RANK	SCHOOL	POINTS (FIRST PLACE VOTES)
1		92 (6)
2		91 (3)
3		77
4		76
5		68
6		54
7		53
8		32
T-9		25
T-9		25
11		12