YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | The Conference Carolinas men's cross country preseason poll has been released.

Young Harris College has been picked to finish second in the conference.

The University of North Carolina Pembroke was picked as the preseason favorite as they received 10 first-place votes and 200 points. The Mountain Lions received four preseason votes and 191 points for the second-place pick. Southern Wesleyan University was selected in third place, Converse University in fourth, and Lees-McRae University in fifth. 

The Mountain Lions return 15 runners from last year's team that finished as the Conference Carolinas runner up in 2025. They open the 2026 season by hosting the YHC Cross Country Invitational Sept. 4th.