NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport men's cross country team was picked third in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released by the league office on Friday afternoon.

The Captains picked up 26 points, which slotted them just behind UC Santa Cruz and Salisbury. The Banana Slugs were selected as the preseason favorites after garnering six first-place votes and 36 total points, while the Sea Gulls were listed second after generating 31 points and receiving the other first-place vote.

Following the top-three squads, Mary Washington fell fourth in the poll, while Regent, Warren Wilson, and Johnson & Wales rounded out the rankings.

CNU placed third at last year's league championship after parking a pair of runners in the top-eight on the individual leaderboard. Remarkably, both of those standouts are back in 2026. Rising senior Evan Young finished third at the 2025 meet, while fellow fourth-year phenom Clayton Rankin came in sixth in last year's field. For their efforts, both stars earned first-team All-League nods.

Two other veterans also return after placing in the team's top-seven at last year's title competition. Senior Kevin Farnsworth was 33rd during the conference meet, while junior Luca Hinton finished two spots later.

Although he was sidelined at the end of last season, junior Andrew Janetsky is also back and looking to add another chapter to an award-winning career. Honored as the 2024 Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, he was celebrated as the league's Athlete of the Week twice last season before missing the final two meets of the fall.

Overall, Christopher Newport boasts a veteran-laden roster featuring nine runners with collegiate experience, including four seniors.

The Captains will open up the 2026 campaign on September 5 with a trip to Pole Green Park for the Spider Alumni Open in Mechanicsville, Virginia.