ATLANTA, Ga. (August 28, 2025) – Covenant College has been slated to set the pace in the 2025 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll. The Scots, who earned six first-place votes and 36 total points, were selected by the league’s seven head coaches after a historic 2024 season in which they captured their first CCS championship in program history.
The defending champions will again be led by CCS Coach of the Year Eli Kaczinski, who guided Covenant to a title last fall by placing four runners inside the top 10 of the conference meet. Anchoring the roster are senior Daniel Bowles, who placed fourth at the CCS Championship and later set a personal record at regionals, and junior Ethan Saiki, who earned sixth place at the league meet and holds the conference record for most Rookie of the Week awards in a single season. Senior Samuel Harrelson, a top 10 finisher at last year’s conference meet, also returns to bolster the Scots’ experienced lineup.
Asbury lands at No. 2 in the poll with 29 points, including one first-place vote. The Eagles finished third at last year’s championship meet with 61 points and later represented the CCS as the lone team to compete at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, securing a top 30 finish. Senior Dan Kersey, who placed seventh at the CCS Championship, returns to lead the Eagles this fall.
Piedmont is slotted third in the preseason rankings with 28 points. The Lions finished as runners-up in last year’s championship meet, highlighted by graduate student Layton Bradford’s second straight runner-up individual finish, which earned him All-Conference honors. Bradford’s return adds both experience and consistency to a veteran Piedmont squad.
Maryville comes in at No. 4 with 21 points. The Scots secured a fourth-place finish at the CCS Championship last fall before earning a 20th-place result at the NCAA South Regional. Sophomore standout Tyler Tangel, the reigning CCS Rookie of the Year, returns to pace Maryville as he looks to push the Scots further up the standings.
Belhaven (16 points), Huntingdon (11), and LaGrange (6) round out the 2025 preseason poll.
2025 CCS MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL
| Ranking |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Covenant College |
36 points (6) |
| 2 |
Asbury University |
29 points (1) |
| 3 |
Piedmont University |
28 points |
| 4 |
Maryville College |
21 points |
| 5 |
Belhaven University |
16 points |
| 6 |
Huntingdon College |
11 points |
| 7 |
LaGrange College |
6 points |
First-place votes in parenthesis.
ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
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