AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward's men's cross country was selected to finish eighth in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.

Defending conference champion West Texas A&M was selected as the preseason favorite, receiving 25 of 28 first-place votes and 389 points. DBU received two first-place votes and 359 points to place second, followed by UT Tyler with the remaining first-place vote and 322 points.

St. Edward's received 198 points after finishing eighth at last season's LSC Championships. The Hilltoppers placed 22nd at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional to conclude head coach Chase Rathke's first season leading the program.

The LSC named ARLO GONZALES and BEN BAYLY as St. Edward's Runners to Watch.

Gonzales earned All-LSC honors last season after placing ninth at the conference championships with an 8K time of 25:19.1. He recorded a season-best 25:11.7 at the Texas A&M Invitational and led the Hilltoppers at each of the final four meets of the season.

The San Antonio native also earned LSC Men's Cross Country Academic Runner of the Year honors and was later selected as the conference's 2025-26 Men's Cross Country Academic Athlete of the Year. Gonzales carries a 3.94 cumulative grade-point average as a kinesiology major.

Bayly enters the season after a record-setting indoor track campaign. The graduate student broke the St. Edward's indoor 5,000-meter record with a time of 14:49.40 at the Gorilla Classic, placing third. He also finished ninth in the 3,000 meters and 10th in the 5,000 meters at the LSC Indoor Track & Field Championships.

St. Edward's opens the season at home on Friday, Sept. 4, hosting the Floyd Farms Cross Country Invitational. The Hilltoppers will compete at the LSC Championships on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the LCU Cross Country Course in Lubbock, Texas.