PORTLAND, ORE. – The University of Alaska Anchorage men's cross country team was picked tied for second and the women's squad was selected fourth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
"This will be an exciting year for us," said head coach Ryan McWilliams. "We have a lot of new faces and some key returners. There is plenty of work to do to live up to and outperform these preseason rankings. Everything will ride on how quickly they can gel together and put in the work to become a sum greater than their parts."
The Seawolf men will have to replace 2025 GNAC champion John Peckham and fellow all-conference performer Ty Elliott, who went on to finish fourth and fifth at the regional championships and each within the top-40 at nationals to take home All-America status. The top returner for UAA is Benjamin Browning, who took 13th at last year's GNAC Championships (24:50.3). Other top-half finishers who are back on the roster are Anthony Porter (24th, 25:11.1), Samuel Roy (30th, 25:29.7) and Edgar Vera (36th, 25:41.9).
The Seawolf women took third place at the conference meet with 105 points in 2025 and have won a conference record nine team titles in women's cross country with the most recent coming in 2018. UAA has four runners on its roster this fall who competed at last year's conference meet, with Gracie Puit being the top returner after taking 27th in 2025 (22:17.2). Also finishing in the top half of competitors last year were returners Avery Williamson in 29th (22:17.2) and Gloria Kiprotich in 38th (22:40.8).
UAA will open the 2026 season at the Blue & Gold Race hosted by Alaska Fairbanks Sept. 5th.
GNAC Preseason Coaches Men's Poll
1. Western Washington (10), 100
T2. Alaska Anchorage, 83
T2. Northwest Nazarene, 83
4. Western Oregon, 72
5. Simon Fraser, 56
6. Central Washington, 48
7. Seattle Pacific, 41
8. Alaska, 34
9. Saint Martin's, 20
10. Montana State Billings, 13
GNAC Preseason Coaches Women's Poll
1. Western Washington (10), 100
2. Central Washington, 82
3. Simon Fraser, 80
4. Alaska Anchorage, 76
5. Seattle Pacific, 75
6. Western Oregon, 73
7. Northwest Nazarene, 60
8. Alaska, 40
9. Montana State Billings, 28
10. Saint Martin's, 26
