INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced its 2026 cross country preseason coaches' polls on Tuesday, Aug. 25, with Drury's men and women picked to finish fourth and fifth, respectively.
The DU men's cross country team earned 94 points, placing fourth behind third-place Illinois Springfield (100 points), second-place Missouri S&T (105), and top-ranked Lewis, which received 11 first-place votes and 121 total points.
The women's team totaled 125 points, placing fifth in the poll. The Panthers sat one point behind fourth-place Illinois Springfield (126), trailing the top three squads in Maryville (129), Southwest Baptist (152), and top-choice Lewis (169) and its 13 first-place votes.
Last season, the men's squad finished fifth
at the GLVC Championships. Tyler Harris returns as the GLVC runner-up after breaking the program record in the 8K with a time of 23:51.13. The women's program finished sixth at the GLVC Championships last season. The Panthers were led by returner Cera Eckenroth, who placed fourth overall in 21:48.73, a time that ranks sixth in school history (6K). Harris and Eckenroth earned All-Region recognition, with Harris garnering GLVC Men's Cross Country Fall Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.
Head coach Luke Karamitrosreturns for his third season leading the Panthers. Karamitros coached four All-GLVC selections, two All-Region honorees, and one NCAA national qualifier last fall.
Drury soccer programs open 2026 seasons this week
The Drury men's and women's soccer squads will open their respective 2026 campaigns Thursday evening, Aug. 27 at Lake Country Soccer Complex.
The DU women opened their campaign with a 5 p.m. Tilt against MIAA foe Emporia State. Drury and Emporia State opened the 2025 season against each other in Springfield, with Drury winning 1-0 to kick off its run to an eventual 10-3-8 season that culminated in a Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament title.
The Drury men will follow with a 7:30 contest against Davenport, following an 8-5-5 ledger in 2025.
Beginning with the upcoming 2026 season, Lake Country Soccer Complex will serve as the home of Drury soccer, as well as the next three GLVC Men's and Women's Soccer Tournaments (2026-28).
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: See how Drury cross country squads rank in GLVC preseason poll
