2023 RSC Men's Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Poll

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- The 2023 River States Conference Men's Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Poll has newcomer Shawnee State (Ohio) University on top as the favorite to win this year. The Bears received nine of the 13 first-place votes in the polling of the RSC's head coaches. 

Shawnee State, which enters the RSC coming off its Mid-South Conference championship in 2022, earned 135 total votes in the poll. The Bears were right in front of IU East, which received 134 total votes and three first-place votes in the poll. IU East won the RSC title last year. It was the first conference championship in team history for the Red Wolves. 

IU Kokomo, which was the RSC runner-up last year, came in third this preseason with 122 votes.

Fourth, fifth and sixth place in the preseason poll remained unchanged from the end of last year. University of Rio Grande (Ohio) placed fourth with 110 total votes and the remaining first-place vote followed by Point Park (Pa.) University with 94 votes and Midway (Ky.) University with 89. Ohio Christian University was predicted seventh with 88 votes.

The next five teams in the poll remained in the same order as last year's finish with two more teams after that. There are 13 schools in RSC cross country this year. That is an increase from 10 that competed in last year's conference championship. 

2023 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY COACHES' PRESEASON POLL (AUG. 21)
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)