FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The Glenville State Men's Cross Country team is picked to finish 5
th in the Mountain East Conference, the league announced today. The poll was voted by the league's 12 head coaches.
Glenville State finished 7
th at last year's MEC Championship, and are predicted to surpass that with a fifth-place nod in 2026. Reigning league champion, Charleston, netted 10 first-place votes and 120 points as the favorite. Davis & Elkins (111 points, two-first place votes), Concord (84 points) and Point Park (83 points) are marked to finish ahead of the Pioneers. GSU logged 79 points in the vote, and were selected to be ahead of West Liberty (67 points), West Virginia Wesleyan (63 points), Shawnee State (62 points), Frostburg State (48 points), Fairmont State (41 points), Wheeling (23 points) and West Virginia State (11 points).
The top two runners from a year ago,
Patrick Reilly and
Nick Pitchford, are back in Pioneer blue following a successful 2025. Reilly was All-MEC Second Team for the second consecutive season while also earning All-Region, and
Nick Pitchford placed 10
th at the MEC Championship to earn All-MEC First Team.
Jackson Mallett and
Luke Barr were top 50 finishers in the league last season, and
Caden Davis notched a top 100 finish in the Atlantic Region race as the trio also returns to Glenville.
| 2026 MEC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll |
| Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Voting |
| 1. |
University of Charleston |
120 (10) |
| 2. |
Davis & Elkins |
111 (2) |
| 3. |
Concord |
84 |
| 4. |
Point Park |
83 |
| 5. |
Glenville State |
79 |
| 6. |
West Liberty |
67 |
| 7. |
West Virginia Wesleyan |
63 |
| 8. |
Shawnee State |
62 |
| 9. |
Frostburg State |
48 |
| 10. |
Fairmont State |
41 |
| 11. |
Wheeling |
23 |
| 12. |
West Virginia State |
11 |
*
Coaches were not permitted to vote for own team
The Pioneers open 2026 in Huntington on Friday, September 4
th, at the YMCA Park in the Thundering Herd Invite.
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