CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The High Point University men's cross country team opens the 2026 season ranked second in the Big South Conference preseason poll. The Panthers sit behind first-ranked Charleston Southern University as they look to make a championship push and capture the program's first conference title in over 10 years.

High Point received three first-place votes and will begin the season in the same position it held entering last year. The Panthers are coming off a second-place team finish after competing in six meets during the 2025 campaign, which began with a first-place finish in Elon, N.C.
 
2026 BIG SOUTH MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL
 

Rk - School (first-place votes)	Points
1 - Charleston Southern (6)	78
2 - High Point (3)	75
3 - UNC Asheville	61
4 - USC Upstate	47
5 - Radford	41
6 - Winthrop	37
7 - Longwood	33
8 - Presbyterian College	18
9 - Gardner-Webb	15

 
The Panthers return the Big South Conference Freshman of the Year and two First Team All-Conference runners. Max Bonilla earned Freshman of the Year honors after placing 10th with a time of 25:22.4, becoming the first High Point runner to receive the honor since 2018. Avery Crowell and Gavin Stevens also return for HPU after finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Crowell clocked a time of 25:02.3, while Stevens followed closely behind in 25:04.2.

High Point opens the season at Elon University on September 4, with the Panthers set to compete at 8:45 p.m.