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ST. LOUIS – The Bradley men and women have been selected as the 2018 favorites by a vote of Missouri Valley Conference cross country coaches in their annual preseason poll. The Bradley men will compete for their fourth-consecutive title while the women will try for their fourth championship in five years. For the second-time in league history, the MVC Cross Country Championship will be aired on The Valley on ESPN.

The Bradley men received all nine first-place votes and a total of 81 points. The Braves return three of their top-five finishers from the champion squad a season ago as well as welcoming back Michael Ward, Haran Dunderdale and Will Anderson from redshirting during the 2017 season. The reigning Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year, Jake Hoffert, comes back for his junior season along with senior Nikolas Hess and sophomore Alec Danner. Hoffert was the third-fastest finisher for the Valley at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championship.  

Illinois State was picked second in the poll earning 67 points. The Redbirds return their top-eight runners from the 2017 team that claimed third-place at the MVC Championship and 12th at the NCAA Midwest Regional. Seniors Kyle Mattes and Cody Beale will lead the team as Mattes finished third and Beale came in 17th at the Valley Championship. Mattes went on to finish seventh at the NCAA Midwest Regional and in the top-100 at the NCAA Championship (the highest Valley finisher).

Indiana State came in third-place with a total of 60 points. Three of the top-five Sycamores are back including seniors Akis Medrano and Quentin Pierce.  Medrano and Pierce were both named MVC All-Conference in 2017 and will bring experience along with junior Ryan Cash. At the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, Medrano finished 57th and was the first Valley and Sycamore finisher.

Loyola notched the No. 4 spot in the coaches poll, tallying 51 points. The Ramblers lost their top-two runners but will have depth as they return seniors Kevin White (2017 All-MVC Honorable Mention) and Derek Rink as well as juniors Riley Demeulenaere, Maximilian O’Meara, Emmanuel Champagne and Kenny Wallace. The core group will provide experience to the eight freshmen joining the Ramblers.

Drake came in a close fifth-place with 49 points. All of the scoring runners from a season ago return for the Bulldogs highlighted by Maximilian Fridrich (2017 Men’s Freshman of the Year) and Kyle Brandt. Fridrich finished fifth at the 2017 MVC Cross Country Championship and will be joined by Kevin Kelly, Sam King and Andrew Berndt on the trails.

Securing sixth-place and 32 points is Southern Illinois. The Salukis welcome back four of their top-five runners in Josh Maier, Cain Hassim, Jacob DeWitt and Theo Hassim. Maier was named 2017 MVC All-Conference after his fourth-place finish and went on to finish 23rd at the NCAA Midwest Regional.  

Only a few points back in the poll is Northern Iowa, securing seventh-place and 30 points. UNI also has four of their top-five back for the 2018 season. The incoming Panthers will be led by CJ May (junior), Ben Ahlrichs (redshirt senior), Alex Jackson (senior) and Ethan Smith (junior).

Valparaiso was chosen eighth with 20 points and Evansville rounds out the men’s poll in ninth with 15 points.

Coming back from the 2017 team for the Crusaders will be Dominic Paoletti, Joey Black and Victor Fortin. Alexander Bruno, Jack Mader and Jack Worman return from redshirting and will make an immediate impact.

Evansville will be a young team with no seniors.  Stanley Chepchieng, Kalen Ochs and Philip Dzienciol will help usher in the four newcomers for the Aces.



After winning the MVC Women’s Cross Country Championship and taking sixth at the NCAA Midwest Regional a year ago, Bradley was picked to win with nine first-place votes and 99 points. The Braves will have three of their five All-Conference honorees back in Sara Piller (fourth), McKenzie Altmayer (sixth) and Abby Jockisch (seventh) as well as Kirstin Oakley (16th-place). Altmayer was the first finisher for Bradley at the NCAA Midwest Regional. Adding to the depth of the team will be Gabby Juarez who was redshirted in 2017 and freshman Tyler Schwartz. 

Loyola earned 88 points and the remaining first-place vote, to claim second-place in the poll. The top-three returners for the Ramblers will be Lindsey Brewis, Rita Maurais and Mimi Reimers.  Brewis claimed first-place and MVC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year honors in 2017 as she went on to finish 14th at the NCAA Midwest Regional, finishing with the fastest Valley time in the NCAAs. Loyola has a solid incoming class of freshmen that are capable of making an immediate impact.

Indiana State was tabbed in the third spot as they received 74 points. The Sycamores welcome back seniors Megan Doty and Abigail Grider as well as junior Alli Workman. After not competing in the 2017 cross country season, Brooke Moore returns hoping to guide the Sycamores into the top-three in the Conference. Workman and Doty were the second and third Sycamores to cross the finish line at NCAA Regionals.

Picked as an extremely close fourth-place is UNI with a total of 73 points. The Panthers only return two of their scoring runners from the Valley Championship in McKayla Cole and Gabby Champion.  Cole was the 2017 MVC Women’s Freshman of the Year after finishing tenth and earning All-MVC honors.  Champion came in 25th-place a year ago.

Illinois State came in fifth-place earning 63 points. The Redbirds have experience in the front as they return one senior and three juniors. Grace Beattie was the top-finisher for Illinois State at last year’s conference championship and will be joined by Kennidi Knoblock, Annie Moore and Phoebe Clowser.

Missouri State is picked sixth with a total of 53 points as they welcome back Grace Breiten, Erica Wollmering and Paityn Howat. As a freshman, Breiten finished 13th at the 2017 MVC Championship, earning her a spot on the All-Conference Honorable Mention Team.

Southern Illinois notched the No. 7 spot in the coaches poll, tallying 38 points. The Salukis have a large contingent of freshman trying to make their mark on the season. Showing the ropes to the newcomers will be Megan Kroklak, Olivia Murphy and Sasha Lanning.

Drake was chosen eighth with 32 points, while Valparaiso earned ninth having 18 points and Evansville rounded out the poll in tenth (12 points).

Drake will be anchored by thier top-returners Olivia Roger (junior), Elizabeth Aho (sophomore), Millie Bretl (sophomore) and Mykaela Cole (junior).

Three of Valparaiso’s top-four runners from a season ago, Katherine Germann, Sarah Caesar and Kate Mitchell will once again lead the team.  The Crusaders welcome three newcomers who could have a chance to make a difference.

Evansville returns everyone from the Valley Championship in 2017.  The Purple Aces top competitors will be Sienna Crews, Hannah Welsh and Anna Lowry.