RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Oklahoma Baptist men's cross country team was picked to finish fourth in the 2023 Great American Conference preseason coaches poll, the league announced on Tuesday.
East Central led the eight-team field with 49 total votes and seven first-place votes. Harding trailed in second with 43 nods, including one first-place vote, while Ouachita Baptist claimed the third slot with 35 votes. The Bison garnered 33 votes to round out the top four.
OBU returns two seniors, headed by All-Conference honoree Maxamillian Wheeler, and welcomes six newcomers to the program.
A season ago, Wheeler led the Bison to three top-five finishes and an appearance at the NCAA Central Region Championships, the program's first trip to the event since 2019. He clocked a personal-best 29:56.3 at the event's 10k to finish 18th overall. It was the fastest individual time by a Bison at the championship in the Division II era.
Wheeler and company will open the 2023 campaign at the Rogers State Invitational on August 31 in Claremore, Okla.
2023 GAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. East Central - 49 (7)
2. Harding - 43 (1)
3
. Ouachita Baptist - 35
4. Oklahoma Baptist - 33
5. Southern Arkansas - 25
6. Northwestern Oklahoma State - 18
7. Southern Nazarene - 14
8. Arkansas-Monticello - 7
For more information on the OBU track and field and cross country teams, follow them on Twitter (
@OBU_TrackXC) and Instagram (
@OBU_TrackXC).
