Men's cross country tabbed seventh in preseason coaches regional poll
NEW ORLEANS, La. - For the fourth straight year, the Simpson College men's cross country team enters the season ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), placing seventh in the Midwest region.
The Storm return four of their top seven finishers from the NCAA Midwest Regional where Simpson placed 12th overall in the region out of 31 teams. Simpson is led by five top-100 finishers from the regional meet, headlined by Cole Leggett with Drew Engler, Ezra De Cleene, James Johnson, and Jack Cavan rounding out the list. The A-R-C All-Conference selection, Leggett, led the Storm with a 61st place finish with a time of 26:11 at the regional.
Simpson was joined on the USTFCCCA preseason regional ranking by fellow A-R-C schools Wartburg, Loras, Central, Nebraska Wesleyan and Dubuque. Six of the top 10 teams in the Midwest region, including the preseason-favorite Wartburg, hail from the American Rivers Conference.
The Storm begin the 2025 campaign by hosting the annual Bill Buxton invitational on Friday, Aug. 29 in Indianola.
2024 IN REVIEW
- Miles Combs led the Storm at the NCAA Midwest Regional, posting a top-50 finish with a time of 25:49 out of 220 runners.
- Cole Leggett paced Simpson in four out of six meets on the season, including three top-10 finishes and a second overall mark at the Bill Buxton Invitational.
- Leggett earned A-R-C All-Conference honors after finishing 15th overall at the A-R-C Championships with a time of 25:08 minutes.
- James Johnson earned his first collegiate victory at the Les Duke Invitational, leading Simpson with his eighth place finish out of 98 runners.
- Eight members of the cross country team were selected to the A-R-C All-Academic team.
KEY RETURNERS
- Cole Leggett, senior
- Drew Engler, senior
- Brody Wirtz, senior
- Jack Cavan, sophomore
- Ezra De Cleene, sophomore
- James Johnson, sophomore
2025 MEN'S SCHEDULE | 2025 MEN'S ROSTER
USTFCCCCA MEN'S PRESEASON REGIONAL RANKINGS
1. Wartburg
2. North Central (Ill.)
3. Chicago
4. Loras
5. Washington (Mo.)
6. Central
7. Simpson
8. Nebraska Wesleyan
9. Dubuque
10. Wheaton (Ill.)
