By: Nash Loibl, Director of Strategic Communications and Internal Operations

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado School of Mines has been selected to win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Cross Country Championship, the league announced Thursday with the release of the 2026 RMAC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
 

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference 2026 Men’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll
PL	Team	1sts	2nds	3rds	Points
1.	Colorado School of Mines	8	6		190
2.	Adams State	7	6	1	188
3.	Western Colorado		2	9	163
4.	UCCS			4	144
5.	Fort Lewis				136
6.	CSU Pueblo			1	123
7.	Colorado Christian				121
8.	Colorado Mesa		1		105
9.	MSU Denver				98
10.	Black Hills State				87
11.	South Dakota Mines				65
12.	New Mexico Highlands				52
13.	Regis				43
14.	Chadron State				41
15.	Westminster				19
Notes: Head coaches were not permitted to vote for their team. 14 points for a 1st-place vote, 13 for 2nd, etc. 196 points maximum in cross country

The league also announced its 2026 Preseason All-RMAC Men’s Cross Country Team with 14 student-athletes earning recognition.

Colorado School of Mines received eight first-place votes and six second-place votes for a total of 190 points. The Orediggers are coming off a strong 2025 campaign that saw them finish second at the RMAC Cross Country Championship and third at the NCAA Division II Men’s Cross Country National Championship. Led by Chris Siemers, Mines is represented by three student-athletes on the 2026 Preseason All-RMAC roster, including two returning members of last year’s Second Team All-RMAC squad in Ethan Grolnic and Cody Wyman.

Adams State University follows closely behind Colorado School of Mines with 188 points, earning seven first-place votes, six second-place votes, and one third-place vote. The Grizzlies continue to establish themselves as a dominant force in the RMAC and on the national stage, capturing the 2025 RMAC Championship before going on to finish second at the NCAA Championship. Under the leadership of head coach Damon Martin, Adams State has claimed 37 RMAC championships and 10 national championships, cementing its status as one of the premier programs in the NCAA. The Grizzlies are represented by two student-athletes on the 2026 Preseason All-RMAC roster, including one returning First Team All-RMAC honoree from a year ago in Jack Gumm.

Western Colorado University comes in at No. 3 in the preseason poll with 163 points, earning two second-place votes and nine third-place votes. The Mountaineers return after placing third at the 2025 RMAC Championship and fifth at the NCAA Division II National Championship. Western Colorado also makes a strong showing on the 2026 Preseason All-RMAC roster with three student-athletes selected, tying Colorado School of Mines and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs for the most selections in the conference.

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs comes in at No. 4 with 144 points, followed by Fort Lewis College at No. 5 with 136 points. Colorado State University Pueblo lands at No. 6 with 123 points. Rounding out the Top 10 are Colorado Christian University (121 points), Colorado Mesa University (105), Metropolitan State University of Denver (98), and Black Hills State University (87).

South Dakota Mines (65 points), New Mexico Highlands University (52), Regis University (43), Chadron State College (41), and Westminster University (19) close out the 2026 Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

The 14-member preseason team features nine student-athletes who earned First- or Second-Team All-RMAC honors last season. Four returning First-Team All-RMAC selections headline the 2026 Preseason All-RMAC squad, joined by five returning Second-Team All-RMAC honorees.

The 2026 RMAC Cross Country season gets underway on Friday, Sept. 4, with the RMAC Championship scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7 in Rapid City, South Dakota. The NCAA Division II National Championship follows on December 4 in Lawrence, Kansas as part of the NCAA Division II Fall Championships Festival.
 

2026 Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Men’s Cross Country
Player	School	Yr.	Hometown
Weldon Chebon (1)	New Mexico Highlands	Jr.	Timbora, Kenya
Koy Cunningham (2)	UCCS	5th	Monument, Colo.
Brett Davis (2)	UCCS	Sr.	Thornton, Colo.
Oliver Diaz (1)	Western Colorado	So.	Los Teques, Venezuela
Ethan Grolnic (2)	Colorado School of Mines	R-Sr.	Arvada, Colo.
Dawson Gunn	Colorado School of Mines	R-Sr.	Sweetwater, Texas
Jack Gumm (1)	Adams State	Gr.	Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK
Enzo Knapp (2)	UCCS	5th	Colorado Springs, Colo.
Mateo Luna	Colorado Christian	Gr.	Largo, Fla.
Tyler Nord (1)	Western Colorado	Jr.	Colorado Springs, Colo.
Kellen Reed	Western Colorado	R-So.	McMinnville, Ore.
Tyler Scholl	Colorado Christian	Gr.	Kremmling, Colo.
Danyom Yosief	Adams State	Sr.	Las Vegas, Nev.
Cody Wyman (FotY, 2)	Colorado School of Mines	R-So.	Lake George, Colo.
Symbols in parentheses are 2025 All-RMAC Recognitions: FotY – was the Freshman of the Year; 1 -was a First Team All-RMAC selection; 2 - was a Second Team All-RMAC selection.

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