ROCHESTER, Mich. – Kicking off the 2026 Cross Country season, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies were selected in the top 5 in the Under Armour #HLXC Preseason Poll the Horizon League announced Tuesday. The women were selected to finish second this season, as the men were voted third place by the league's head coaches.
The women's team finished third at the HL Championships last season, as the team was led by the 2025 Women's Freshman of the Year, Eliza Bush, who returns for her sophomore year. The Golden Grizzlies are also led by seniors Anne May and Grace Wessel, fifth-year Makenna Scott, and added four new freshmen to the squad.
The men's program exceeded expectations with a second-place finish at last year's championship, as head coach Paul Rice was named the Horizon's Men's Coach of the Year for the first time since 2017, based on the team's performance. Losing the team's top three scorers from the meet, including first-team all-conference Wesley Hollowell, the Black and Gold are led by senior Carter McCalister and juniors Mitchell Clark, Collin Farmer, Bryce Nowik, and Ethan Sandula.
The Golden Grizzlies open the 2026 season at home on Sept. 3, hosting the annual Golden Grizzlies Open at the new course across from the OU Golf and Learning Center.
2026 Under Armour Men's #HLXC Preseason Poll
Place. Team – Points
- Youngstown State – 99
- IU Indianapolis – 85
- Oakland – 77
- Green Bay – 73
- Wright State – 53
- Detroit Mercy – 44
- RMU – 34
- Purdue Fort Wayne – 31
- Northern Kentucky – 29
- Milwaukee – 25
2026 Under Armour Women's #HLXC Preseason Poll
Place. Team – Points
- Youngstown State – 140
- Oakland – 119
- Purdue Fort Wayne – 105
- RMU – 101
- Milwaukee – 95
- IU Indianapolis – 87
- Green Bay – 83
- Northern Kentucky – 61
- NIU – 48
- Detroit Mercy – 35
- Wright State – 32
- Cleveland State – 30
How to Follow Oakland Cross Country/Track and Field: For complete information on Oakland Cross Country/Track and Field teams, follow the team on X at @OaklandTrackXC. The team is also on Instagram.
