NEW ORLEANS -- The Christopher Newport cross country programs earned high marks in the USTFCCCA South Regional Preseason Rankings as the men were slotted fifth in the poll, while the women were listed sixth in the initial release by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Tuesday afternoon.

After finishing the 2025 campaign ranked 10th in the region, the men jumped up five spots in the preseason poll, which equaled the third-highest leap of any program in the country. Meanwhile, the women held firm in the No. 6 spot after wrapping up last fall in the same position.

On the men's side, Washington and Lee was listed as the preseason favorite, while Lynchburg, Emory, Roanoke, and CNU rounded out the top-five. Meanwhile, the Emory women were ranked first in the region, while Washington and Lee, Catholic, Rhodes, and Lynchburg followed in immediate succession.

Christopher Newport returns three All-Region honorees from last fall. During the 2025 South Championships, Clayton Rankin placed 27th in the men's 8k, while Sarah Dake and Sarah Bland were celebrated on the women's side. Dake finished 22nd in the 6k before Bland crossed in 30th.

Along with Dake and Bland, Kayla Lopez is also back after coming in 48th at last year's meet. Meanwhile, Katherine Streeter (56th), Courtney Mudd (57th), and Lauren Ryan (77th) were also among Christopher Newport's top-seven finishers in 2025.

The men feature a talented group of veterans as well. In addition to Rankin, Kevin Farnsworth (57th), Evan Young (67th), and Luca Hinton (123rd) scored for the Captains last year. Meanwhile, rising junior Andrew Janetsky was an All-South selection during his freshman campaign after finishing 28th in 2024.

Christopher Newport will open up the 2026 season on September 5 with an appearance at the Spider Alumni Open in Mechanicsville, Virginia.

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