BURNSVILLE, Minn. --- The Minnesota State men's cross country team has been picked to finish third in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

MSU received 164 points to claim the third spot in the rankings. Augustana topped the rankings with 196 points and 14 first-place votes, with MSU Moorhead following in second with 182 points and one first-place vote. UMary (161 points) and Sioux Falls (121 points) rounded out the top-five.

Last season, the Mavericks finished in third place at the NSIC Championships with 77 points, just four points behind second-place MSU Moorhead. Augustana took first place at the NSIC Championships with 27 points. MSU would go on to finish in 15^th place at the NCAA Central Region Championships with 441 points.

Sophomore Jack Kendall has been named MSU's Athlete to Watch for the upcoming season. Last year, Kendall earned All-NSIC Second Team honors as he finished in 13th place with a time of 25:58.98. At the NCAA Central Region Championships, Kendall would post a time of 31:32.31 to finish 60th.

Sophomore Dominic Ripperda also returns for the Mavericks after being named to the All-NSIC Second Team last season. Ripperda finished in 15th place at the NSIC Championships with a time of 26:07.44, and went on to finish 93rd at the NCAA Central Region Championships with a time of 33:16.03.

Minnesota State opens its 2026 season on Friday, Sept. 4, as it travels to Sioux Falls, S.D., to compete at the Augie Twilight. The event will be held at Yankton Trail Park at 9:15 p.m.

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