KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Montreat College men's cross country team earned its 42nd consecutive appearance in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Rating, which was announced on Thursday morning. The Cavaliers received 46 votes, 29th-most among programs nationwide.

Montreat finished just five points behind Aquinas (Mich.) and 21 points ahead of Oregon Tech in the latest voting process. Milligan (Tenn.) paced all Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) programs, ranking No. 8 with 414 points. Cumberlands (Ky.) claimed the top spot nationally, earning 19 first-place votes and 560 points.

Most recently, the Cavs competed at Queens University of Charlotte's Royals Cross Country Challenge on Friday, Oct. 9 in Charlotte, N.C. Montreat secured an 11th-place finish among 27 teams in a competitive field that featured seven NCAA Division I programs. Ryan Stade led the way for the Cavaliers, placing 14th out of 248 runners with a time of 24:41.4.

For a complete look at the latest 2026 NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25, click here.

The Cavs return to action on Friday, Oct. 23, by traveling to Knoxville, Tenn., to compete in the NAIA Appalachian Challenge, hosted by Tennessee Wesleyan University. The 8k race is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.