2026 NEC Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll                   1. CCSU (5)                 2. Stonehill (4)                 3. LIU                 4. Wagner                 5. (tie) Le Moyne                      FDU                 7. New Haven                 8. Mercyhurst                 9. Chicago State                First place votes in parentheses

Bridgewater, NJ –- For the fourth time in five years, perennial power Central Connecticut has been deemed the favorite to take home the NEC men’s cross country title, though the Blue Devils appear to have a formidable challenger.

CCSU, winners of a league-record 13 championships, tallied five first place votes in the NEC preseason coaches poll to edge Stonehill. The Skyhawks placed second in the poll with four first place votes.

LIU was picked third, followed by Wagner in fourth.

Le Moyne and FDU tied for fifth in the poll, while New Haven finished seventh. Mercyhurst and Chicago State rounded out the poll in that order.

Last fall CCSU won its third consecutive conference title and fourth of the decade. Guided by 11-time NEC Coach of the Year Eric Blake, the Blue Devils will enter the upcoming campaign with a much younger squad than a season ago following the graduation of 2025 individual champion Mark Rodriguez and runner-up Aidan Budge. Junior Michael Kraszewski (East Haddam, CT/Hale Ray), the 2024 NEC Rookie of the Year, headlines this year’s team. Kraszewski finished 20th at the NEC Championship last season following a 10th place showing as a freshman. Sophomore Mario Oliva (Stratford, CT/Bunnell) also returns for the CCSU, looking to build upon a 24^th place effort a season ago.

Stonehill, guided by veteran head coach Karen Boen, was only 15 points off the title last season in a runner-up showing. It marked the program’s best finish since joining the NEC in 2022, capping a stretch of three consecutive top-three finishes. The Skyhawks return several key contributors, including three All-NEC runners. Senior Dylan Brilliant (Plymouth, MA/Plymouth South) placed third at the NEC Championship a season ago with a time of 25:44.80. The senior’s performance was the best of any Stonehill runner during its tenure in the NEC and was his third straight top-10 result. Senior Nick Davies (Auckland, New Zealand/Westlake Boys) earned a top-10 finish as well with a 26:20.50 mark. Sophomore Luke Allen (Coventry, RI/East Greenwich) earned NEC Rookie of the Year honors in 2025 on the strength of a 13th place showing. Junior Connor Magil (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) and senior Ryan Pereira (Danbury, CT/Danbury) both finished inside the top 20 last season as well.

LIU returns a 2025 All-NEC honoree in junior Robby Levy (Sea Cliff, NY/North Shore), who placed 12th at the NEC Championship last season.

LIU will host the 2026 NEC Men’s Cross Country Championship on October 31 in Brookville, NY. All nine NEC institutions are eligible to participate in the championship.

About The NEC
Now in its 46th season, the NEC is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Chicago (#3), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#32) and Syracuse (#88). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 25 sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 17 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (www.necsports.com) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.