University of St. Thomas Athletics
Tommies tabbed tied for fourth in men’s, fifth in women’s Summit League preseason polls
9/2/2026 12:00:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
Lueth, Westerlund named Men’s Athletes to Watch; Kmecak, Pauly named Women’s
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- St. Thomas cross country was picked tied for fourth in the men's poll fifth in the women's poll in the 2026 Summit League preseason coaches' polls released Wednesday by league officials.
The Tommie women collected 23 points to rank fifth among the League's eight teams, while the St. Thomas men received 16 points to share fourth place with Oral Roberts and South Dakota.
North Dakota was selected as the women's preseason favorite with 47 points and five first-place votes, while South Dakota State earned 42 points and two first-place votes. North Dakota State followed with 39 points and one first-place vote, while South Dakota was fourth with 31 points.
On the men's side, South Dakota State was picked to defend its League title after receiving 35 points and five first-place votes. North Dakota followed with 32 points and two first-place votes, while North Dakota State was third with 26 points.
Sophomore Casey Poppler and senior Max Westerlund represent the Tommie men on the preseason list after strong 2025 campaigns.
Poppler earned Newcomer of the Championship honors at the 2025 Summit League Championships after placing 15th with an 8K time of 24:31.8. He also posted a 24:51.4 at the Joe Piane Invitational and finished the season with a 10K personal-best time of 33:11.0 at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Westerlund returns for his senior season after earning second-team All-League honors in 2025. He placed 13th at the Summit League Championships in 24:22.7 after opening the season with a 49th-place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational in 26:42.7. Westerlund later finished 83rd at the NCAA Midwest Regional with a 10K time of 32:40.9.
The Tommie women are represented on the Athletes to Watch list by sophomores Lindsay Berg and Olivia Pauly.
Berg opened her freshman campaign with a 10th-place finish at the Phoenix Open, crossing in 22:19.5 over 6K. She later established a season-best 6K time of 21:18.0 at the Bradley Pink Classic and finished 28th at the Summit League Championships in 21:40.0.
Pauly returns after earning second-team All-League recognition as a sophomore. She opened the 2025 season with a third-place finish at the Phoenix Open in 22:06.0 before setting a 5K personal best of 17:33.3 at the Joe Piane Invitational. At the Summit League Championships, Pauly placed 10th in a program-record 6K time of 21:01.5.
The men's program begins its 2026 season Friday, Sept. 4 at 8:40 p.m. CT at the Dragon Twilight in Moorhead, Minn., while the women open Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Phoenix Open in Green Bay, Wis.
The 2026 Summit League Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Oct. 31 in St. Paul, Minn., hosted by St. Thomas.
2026 Summit League Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
The Tommie women collected 23 points to rank fifth among the League's eight teams, while the St. Thomas men received 16 points to share fourth place with Oral Roberts and South Dakota.
North Dakota was selected as the women's preseason favorite with 47 points and five first-place votes, while South Dakota State earned 42 points and two first-place votes. North Dakota State followed with 39 points and one first-place vote, while South Dakota was fourth with 31 points.
On the men's side, South Dakota State was picked to defend its League title after receiving 35 points and five first-place votes. North Dakota followed with 32 points and two first-place votes, while North Dakota State was third with 26 points.
Sophomore Casey Poppler and senior Max Westerlund represent the Tommie men on the preseason list after strong 2025 campaigns.
Poppler earned Newcomer of the Championship honors at the 2025 Summit League Championships after placing 15th with an 8K time of 24:31.8. He also posted a 24:51.4 at the Joe Piane Invitational and finished the season with a 10K personal-best time of 33:11.0 at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Westerlund returns for his senior season after earning second-team All-League honors in 2025. He placed 13th at the Summit League Championships in 24:22.7 after opening the season with a 49th-place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational in 26:42.7. Westerlund later finished 83rd at the NCAA Midwest Regional with a 10K time of 32:40.9.
The Tommie women are represented on the Athletes to Watch list by sophomores Lindsay Berg and Olivia Pauly.
Berg opened her freshman campaign with a 10th-place finish at the Phoenix Open, crossing in 22:19.5 over 6K. She later established a season-best 6K time of 21:18.0 at the Bradley Pink Classic and finished 28th at the Summit League Championships in 21:40.0.
Pauly returns after earning second-team All-League recognition as a sophomore. She opened the 2025 season with a third-place finish at the Phoenix Open in 22:06.0 before setting a 5K personal best of 17:33.3 at the Joe Piane Invitational. At the Summit League Championships, Pauly placed 10th in a program-record 6K time of 21:01.5.
The men's program begins its 2026 season Friday, Sept. 4 at 8:40 p.m. CT at the Dragon Twilight in Moorhead, Minn., while the women open Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Phoenix Open in Green Bay, Wis.
The 2026 Summit League Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Oct. 31 in St. Paul, Minn., hosted by St. Thomas.
2026 Summit League Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank | School | Points (1st) |
| 1. | North Dakota | 47 (5) |
| 2. | South Dakota State | 42 (2) |
| 3. | North Dakota State | 39 (1) |
| 4. | South Dakota | 31 |
| 5. | St. Thomas | 23 |
| 6. | Oral Roberts | 19 |
| 6. | Omaha | 13 |
| 8. | Kansas City | 10 |
2026 Summit League Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank | School | Points (1st) |
| 1. | South Dakota State | 35 (5) |
| 2. | North Dakota | 32 (2) |
| 3. | North Dakota State | 26 |
| 4. | St. Thomas | 16 |
| 4. | Oral Roberts | 16 |
| 4. | South Dakota | 16 |
| 7. | Kansas City | 6 |
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas Cross Country, follow along on X (formerly Twitter) at @TommieXCTF. For more information on St. Thomas Men's and Women's Cross Country, follow along on Instagram at @tommiemtfxc and @tommiewxctf
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
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