Kansas City, MO - The Patriots men's cross country team has improved to No. 3 in the first regular-season NAIA Coaches' Poll, officials announced Thursday. The ranking ties the highest mark in program history. 

The Patriots remain in the top five following a strong performance at the Southern Showcase nearly two weeks ago, where they placed 21st out of 48 teams in the men's 8K. 

Julius Makinen paced UC with a time of 24:58.8, finishing 78th overall. His effort ranks among the top 15 all-time performances in Cumberlands history. 

The Patriots totaled 498 points in the poll, edging Milligan (Tenn.) by one point. The Master's (Calif.) holds the top spot, followed by Indiana Wesleyan, Milligan (Tenn.), and Taylor (Ind.) to round out the top five. 

UC will be back on the course on Saturday, October 4th at the Greater Louisville Classic hosted by the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky.   

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