KANSAS CITY, MO – The University of the Cumberlands men's cross country team will enter the NAIA National Championships as the top-ranked team in the country after holding the No. 1 spot in the final NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Rating, announced Tuesday. The Patriots received 19 first-place votes and 560 points as they prepare to compete for the program's first national championship.

Cumberlands secured its fourth consecutive Mid-South Conference Championship last Friday at Phil Moore Park in Bowling Green, KY. The Patriots delivered a perfect team score of 15 points, sweeping the top five scoring positions and placing their first nine runners inside the top nine.

Collin De Julio led the way for UC, capturing the individual title in 25:05.35 to earn MSC Runner of the Year honors. Noah Loeser followed in second with a time of 25:17.18, while Caleb Hershey finished third in 25:20.61. Kyle Crady placed fourth in 25:28.59, and Casey DeSilvey rounded out the scoring five in 25:43.30.

Sean Crady and Giulio Romano followed in sixth and seventh, respectively, giving Cumberlands seven First Team All-Conference selections. Freshman Merwan Meleard also earned MSC Freshman of the Year honors after placing ninth overall. Head Coach Bradley Sowder was named MSC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year following the Patriots' championship performance.

In the final national rating, Madonna (Mich.) remained second with 542 points, followed by The Master's (Calif.) in third with 506 points. Trinity Western (B.C.) climbed to fourth with 500 points, while Marian (Ind.) rounded out the top five with 484 points.

The NAIA also announced the official championship field Tuesday, with 36 teams and 75 individual qualifiers set to compete in Vancouver, WA. Cumberlands earned its automatic berth by winning the Mid-South Conference Championship and enters as the highest-rated program in the field.

Indiana Wesleyan, the defending national champion, returns to the championship field ranked No. 12 after capturing its first men's cross country national title in 2025. The Patriots will also face several nationally ranked programs, including Madonna, The Master's, Trinity Western, and Marian, as they compete for the NAIA Red Banner.

The 2026 NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship is scheduled for Friday, November 20, at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, WA. The men's 8K race will begin at 10:30 a.m. PT (1:30 p.m. ET), with live coverage available on the NAIA Network at NAIANetwork.com.

With their fourth straight conference title secured and the No. 1 national ranking in hand, the Patriots now turn their attention to the final race of the season as they look to bring home the program's first NAIA national championship.

For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow the Patriots on Twitter/X at @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday and Instagram at @UCPatriots.