PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Little East Conference (LEC) has announced the preseason polls for men's cross country entering the 2026 season and the University of Massachusetts has been selected to finish second overall in the field of nine teams.
The Corsairs were just behind top-pick Keene State, who received seven first-place votes and 63 total points. UMass Dartmouth earned 48 total points with a first-place vote, while Eastern Connecticut State was just one point behind (47 points), receiving a first-place vote of their own for third place.
Last season, the Corsairs competed in eight meets, finishing 10th or better on the season in five of the eight. UMass Dartmouth was fifth or better in three meets. The squad went on to place fifth at the Little East Championships.
Led by fourth-year head coach
Ryan O'Connell, the Corsairs return 18 members from last season's squad, including 2026 captains
Colin Ozturk,
Joseph Stanton,
Jackson Caron,
Tyler Scanlon and
Ben Bairos.
The squad saw five earn LEC All-Academic honors, including returners Bairos,
James Carriere,
Michael Gemelli and
Isaac Toweh.
UMass Dartmouth kicks-off the new campaign on Saturday, September 5 at the Suffolk Short Course Classic, hosted in Attleboro, Mass. The men's race gets underway at 10:45am with the women's race at 10:00am.
