GREENVILLE, S.C. – Coming off of its fourth-straight conference championship, the UNC Pembroke men's cross country team was picked to repeat once again with the release of the 2026 Conference Carolinas Preseason Poll.

The Black & Gold picked up ten first-place votes and 200 points to take the top spot, with Young Harris earning four first-place votes and 191 points to come in at second. Southern Wesleyan and Converse each tallied 172 points to slot into a tie for third, while Lees-McRae picked up 149 points to round out the top five. North Greenville grabbed the final first-place vote and earned 146 points to settle in at sixth.

The Black & Gold will officially open the 2026 season on September 4 as they head to Spartanburg, S.C. for the USC Upstate Eye Opener. The men's race is slated to begin at 7:10 p.m.

The preseason poll was voted on by the league's head coaches and are not permitted to vote for their own school.