CARMEL, Ind. -- The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference has announced the results of the 2025 HCAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll, conducted by the league's head coaches. The Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers have been picked to repeat as champions in the 2025 season.

Rose-Hulman landed in first place in the preseason poll, receiving 80 points and eight first-place votes. Manchester finished second in the preseason poll with 74 points and two first-place votes. Hanover rounded out the top three teams with 62 points. 

The Fightin' Engineers earned the HCAC Title last season, claiming their seventh championship in the last 12 years. The team beat out the second-place finisher, Manchester, with team scores of 30 to 57. 

Rose-Hulman had five student-athletes earn HCAC All-Conference last season. Those key returners include Joshua Pohle, Sam Rinker, Eduardo del Rosal, Rhys Phelps, and Chris Lynn. 

Rose-Hulman will begin its 2025 season traveling to compete in the Sam Bell Invitational on Friday, August 29, at 9:15 AM.

HCAC PRESEASON POLL RESULTS:
1) Rose-Hulman - 80 (8)
2) Manchester - 74 (2)
3) Hanover - 62
4) Franklin - 60
5) Transylvania - 40
6) Anderson - 39
7) Berea - 38
8) Bluffton - 26
9) Earlham - 21
10) Mount St. Joseph - 10