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Generals Men's XC Rankings 2026 Preseason Graphic with team and five national/regional rankings.

2026 Men's Cross Country Season Preview

LEXINGTON, Va. – Coming off a historic 2025 campaign, the Washington and Lee men's cross country team enters the 2026 season with high expectations and the experience to match. The Generals open the fall with a program-record No. 12 national ranking in both the USTFCCCA Preseason Coaches' Poll and D3 Glory Days rankings while earning the No. 1 spot in the USTFCCCA South Region rankings.

W&L returns six members of last year's seven-runner NCAA Championship lineup after capturing its first South Region title since 1995 and finishing 20th at the national meet. Head Coach Brandon Spalding, entering his 14th season at the helm of the Generals, will lead the veteran group into its season opener on Friday, Sept. 4, at the Virginia Tech Invitational at the Buford Meredith Cross Country Course in Blacksburg, Va.

The Old Dominion Athletic Confernce also released their season outlook and you can read the ODAC Cross Country Season Preview here.

MXC at Pre-Nationals 2025 - Team starting line picture

NATIONAL RANKINGS

Washington and Lee will open the 2026 season with the highest national ranking in program history, checking in at No. 12 in the USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Preseason National Coaches’ Poll. The Generals also earned the No. 12 spot in the D3 Glory Days preseason rankings, matching the program-best national billing.

The Generals enter the fall following a historic 2025 campaign that included the program's first NCAA South Region Championship since 1995 and a 20th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championships. W&L returns six members of its seven-runner national championship lineup and adds Johns Hopkins transfer Matt Kelly to an experienced group.

W&L was also selected No. 1 in the USTFCCCA South Region preseason rankings, ahead of fellow ODAC programs No. 2 Lynchburg and No. 4 Roanoke, with Emory and Christopher Newport ranked third and fifth, respectively. The Generals are projected as the region's automatic qualifier after capturing the 2025 South Region title.

The preseason recognition extends beyond the traditional coaches' polls. W&L sits 14th nationally in the USTFCCCA's XCRI Team Five rankings, which use individual athlete ratings and NCAA cross country scoring to evaluate each team's top five.

The Generals will have an opportunity to test their national standing throughout the fall, highlighted by the Running of the Cows – Pre-Nationals on Oct. 3 at Carleton College. The meet will give W&L an early look at the same Bill Huyck Cross Country Course that will host the 2026 NCAA Division III Championships on Nov. 21.

D3 Glory Days | USTFCCCA National Rankings | USTFCCCA Regional Rankings | USTFCCA Rankings Central

ODAC Preview 

MXC at Hornet Harrier 2025
Members of the Generals race at the 2026 ODAC Championships site, the Kernstown Battlefield.

2026 Schedule Preview 

The Washington and Lee men’s cross country team is set for an exciting 2026 campaign that will take the Generals across the region and onto the national stage. With a mix of challenging invitationals, regional showdowns, and championship races, this fall offers plenty of opportunities for fans to follow the Blue and White.

Early Season Spotlight

The Generals open the 2026 season on Friday, Sept. 4, at the Virginia Tech Invitational at the Buford Meredith Cross Country Course in Blacksburg, Va., with racing projected to begin at 6:30 p.m.

W&L remains in Virginia the following week for the Shenandoah Twilight on Friday, Sept. 11 at Kernstown Battlefield in Winchester, Va., before heading north for the Cardinal Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Wesleyan University's cross country course in Middletown, Conn.

One of the highlights of the regular-season slate comes on Saturday, Oct. 3, when the Generals travel to Northfield, Minn., for the Running of the Cows – Pre-Nationals. The meet will give W&L an early opportunity to race the Bill Huyck Cross Country Course, which will host the NCAA Division III National Championships seven weeks later. Racing is projected to begin at 1 p.m. ET (noon CT).

Regular Season Opportunities to Cheer in Person

Several regular-season meets bring the Generals within reach for regional fans this fall to cheer on the Blue and White in person.

Friday, September 11 – Shenandoah Twilight (6:30 p.m.) at Kernstown Battlefield in Winchester, Va.

Friday, September 25 – JMU Cross Country Invitational (6:30 p.m.) at New Market Battlefield in New Market, Va.

Saturday, October 17 – Roanoke's South Region Showdown (11 a.m.) at Green Hill Park in Salem, Va.

These meets provide opportunities to see the Generals compete across the Commonwealth, with the South Region Showdown serving as W&L's final regular-season tune-up before championship racing begins two weeks later.

Championship Postseason

The postseason begins on Saturday, Oct. 31, when the Generals return to Kernstown Battlefield in Winchester, Va., for the ODAC Championships, hosted by Shenandoah University. The men's championship race is projected to begin at 11 a.m.

Note: The ODAC Championship can be followed online on FloCollege.com, a subscription will need to be purchased to watch it. More information about the ODAC's media broadcasting agreement with FloSports can be found, HERE. 

Two weeks later, W&L travels to Panorama Farms in Earlysville, Va., for the NCAA South Region Championships on Saturday, Nov. 14. The 11 a.m. race will determine the region's individual qualifiers and help shape the team field advancing to the NCAA Division III Championships.

The season culminates on Saturday, Nov. 21, with the NCAA Division III National Championships at the Bill Huyck Cross Country Course in Northfield, Minn. The men's championship race is projected for 1 p.m. ET (noon CT). For the Generals who advance, the October Pre-Nationals trip will provide valuable familiarity with the course before returning to Minnesota for the biggest race of the season.

Note: Meet schedule, individual participation and start times are subject to change. Start times will be confirmed once host institutions publish their final meet-day timing sheets and starting lists. Check out the full 2026 W&L men's cross country season HERE.

MXC ODAC Championship Team Picture 2025 - Trophy
The Generals 2025 Men's Cross Country Team Poses with the ODAC trophy at the Bridgewater Cross Country Course.

KEY RETURNERS

The Generals return the bulk of a championship-tested lineup in 2026, including five All-Region performers and five All-ODAC honorees from last fall. The group helped W&L capture both the ODAC and NCAA South Region Championships before finishing 20th at the NCAA Division III Championships and is headlined by reigning ODAC individual champion Sam Daunt.

Sam Daunt ’27 – Daunt emerged at the front of the Generals' lineup in 2025, winning the ODAC individual championship to earn First Team All-ODAC and Runner of the Meet honors. He carried that success into the NCAA postseason, adding All-Region honors while helping W&L claim its first South Region championship since 1995.

Robert Cooper ’27 – Cooper enters 2026 as one of W&L's most accomplished and experienced runners. He earned First Team All-ODAC honors for the second consecutive season in 2025 before adding another All-Region citation and competing at the NCAA Championships.

Thomas Franklin ’27 – A model of consistency in the Generals' lineup, Franklin earned Second Team All-ODAC honors for the third consecutive season in 2025. He also collected All-Region recognition and brings extensive championship experience into his fourth season.

Jackson Kodenski ’27 – Kodenski earned his second career Second Team All-ODAC citation last fall before adding All-Region honors during W&L's championship run. He returns as another experienced member of both the Generals' regional championship and NCAA Championship lineups.

William Dunaway ’27 – Dunaway continued his emergence in 2025 by earning his first Second Team All-ODAC honor and adding All-Region recognition. His development gives W&L another proven postseason performer within an experienced returning pack.

Wyatt Benjamin ’27 – Benjamin adds to the Generals' depth after earning his first career Third Team All-ODAC honor in 2025. His breakthrough season gives W&L another returning all-conference performer capable of contributing to a deep championship lineup.

With five All-Region runners, five All-ODAC performers and six members of last year's NCAA Championship lineup returning, W&L enters 2026 with proven talent throughout its pack as the Generals look to build on their historic 2025 campaign.

MXC 2026 Captains - William Dunaway, Sam Daunt, Thomas Franklin
Captains William Dunaway '27, Sam Daunt '28, and Tomas Franklin '27.

MEET THE CAPTAINS

Junior Sam Daunt enters the 2026 season after a breakout sophomore campaign that established him at the front of the Generals' lineup. The Haymarket, Va., native captured the 2025 ODAC individual championship, earning First Team All-ODAC and ODAC Runner of the Meet honors while helping W&L claim the conference title. Daunt followed that performance with All-Region honors as the Generals captured their first NCAA South Region Championship since 1995 and was a member of W&L's seven-runner lineup at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Daunt carried that success onto the track, where he owns personal bests of 14:14.08 in the 5,000m and 3:53.98 in the 1,500m. Away from competition, the Accounting and Finance major and Russian Language and Culture minor is a member of the Williams Investment Society and has earned recognition on the President's List, as a W&L Scholar-Athlete, CSC Academic All-District selection and VaSID All-State honoree. He is also a member of Phi Eta Sigma.

Senior William Dunaway enters the 2026 season as an experienced member of the Generals' championship lineup after earning Second Team All-ODAC and All-Region honors in 2025. Dunaway helped W&L capture both the ODAC Championship and the program's first NCAA South Region Championship since 1995 before representing the Generals at the NCAA Division III Championships. He owns an 8K cross country personal best of 24:52.70.

Dunaway has also been a consistent contributor for the Generals on the track, recording personal bests of 14:42.09 in the 5,000m and 8:34.75 in the 3,000m. Away from competition, the Economics major and Data Science minor is a member of the Williams Investment Society and Outing Club. He has earned Academic All-ODAC, W&L Scholar-Athlete and USTFCCCA All-Academic recognition during his career.

Senior Thomas Franklin enters the 2026 season as one of the most consistent performers in the Generals' lineup, having earned Second Team All-ODAC honors in each of his first three seasons. The Toledo, Ohio, native is also a two-time All-Region performer, earning the distinction in 2024 and 2025. Last fall, Franklin helped W&L capture both the ODAC Championship and the program's first NCAA South Region Championship since 1995 before competing at the NCAA Division III Championships. He owns an 8K cross country personal best of 25:08.3.

Franklin competes across a range of distance events on the track and owns personal bests of 4:04.50 in the 1,500m, 8:45.74 in the 3,000m, 9:43.25 in the 3,000m steeplechase and 14:52.87 in the 5,000m.

Away from competition, Franklin is a Biochemistry major with a minor in Data Science and is a Johnson Scholar, Elks Legacy Award winner, USTFCCCA All-Academic and Academic All-ODAC honoree. He conducts biochemistry research with Dr. Kim and is involved with Peer Connectors, the 24 Student-Athlete Coalition, Campus Kitchen Leadership Team and Reformed University Fellowship.

Spalding at Paul Short 2025 | Photo credit: Stockton Photo, Inc.
Head Coach Brandon Spalding during the pre-meet huddle.
This team is in a great place heading into the season. We return six of our top seven runners from last year’s 20th-place team and have added an impact graduate transfer. We have a very competitive schedule this fall that will challenge us throughout the season. Naturally, we have high expectations for this group, but our focus isn’t on looking too far ahead. We want to take the season one week at a time, continue to improve and build upon each performance as we work toward the championship portion of the season.
Head Coach Brandon Spalding

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