WC Missouri News

The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) has released its 2025 preseason cross country coaches poll, placing the Central Missouri Mules men's team in sixth and the Jennies women's team in ninth. The announcement was made Friday, August 29, by the conference office.

In the men's rankings, Central Missouri received 69 points, just behind Missouri Southern's fifth-place total of 79 points. Northwest Missouri topped the poll with 118 points and ten first-place votes. Pittsburg State followed with 111 points and two first-place votes. Nebraska Kearney (95 points) and Washburn (91 points) rounded out the top four.

The remainder of the men's poll includes Missouri Western in seventh place with 63 points, Fort Hays State eighth with 59 points, Rogers State ninth at 42 points, Emporia State tenth with 32 points, Newman eleventh at 22 points, and Arkansas-Fort Smith twelfth with 12 points.

On the women's side, Central Missouri Jennies earned a total of 60 points for ninth place. Teams ranking below them include Missouri Western (49), Arkansas-Fort Smith (35), Newman (27), and Central Oklahoma (15). Pittsburg State led the women's poll with eight first-place votes and a total of 138 points. Rogers State took second place with three first-place votes and a score of 124. Fort Hays State placed third at 111, while Nebraska Kearney and Northwest Missouri tied for fourth with identical scores of 108; Nebraska Kearney also secured one first-place vote.

Both Central Missouri teams are set to open their seasons on Friday, September 5 at the SBU Bearcat Invitational held at Bolivar Golf Course in Bolivar, Mo., under new head coach Collin Nurenberg.