RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Oklahoma Baptist men's cross country team has been picked to finish second in the 2022 GAC preseason poll, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.
OBU garnered 42 total votes, including one first-place, while Harding previewed at the top spot with 46 (5).
Following a 2021 campaign that saw a runner-up finish in the GAC XC Conference Championship, the Bison look to finish atop the league with veteran talent returning.
Junior Maxamillian Wheeler returns after earning first-team All-GAC honors at last season's XC Championship. Seniors Blake Cope and Parker Ables return after claiming second-team nods at the conference finale. Sophomore Carson Kardokus looks to build upon an outstanding freshman season that featured a top-10 finish in his debut event.
Head coach Brian Whitlock enters his first season with the Bison following a legendary 18-year career at Wayland Baptist. Whitlock's resume speaks for itself, featuring 12 national championships and 575 All-American honors as a head coach.
Whitlock and company will begin their 2022 campaign on September 17 at the Missouri Southern Stampede in Joplin, MO.
2022 GAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Harding (5)
2.
Oklahoma Baptist (1)
3
. East Central (2)
4. Ouachita
5. Southern Arkansas
6. Northwestern Oklahoma State
7. Southern Nazarene
8. Arkansas-Monticello
For more information on the OBU track and field and cross country teams, follow them on Twitter (
@OBU_TrackXC) and Instagram (
@OBU_TrackXC).
