The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference has announced its 2022 KCAC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Team. Kansas Wesleyan had three student-athletes earn spots on the team.
The group is made up of the top returning runners from the 2021 season.
Shane Calvin (JR/Lakin, Kan.), Giovanni Rios (SO/Temecula, Calif.) and Austin Hess (JR/Garden City, Kan.) were named to the Preseason Team.
Saint Mary leads the way with ten honorees, which includes three Top 10 finishers from the conference championships a year ago. The Spires’ Brig Merritt is the top returning runner from last year’s conference championship, where he finished third.
Kansas Wesleyan ranks second in the conference with three honorees on the preseason team, followed closely by Southwestern with two honorees. McPherson, Bethel, Friends, Tabor, and Bethany all saw one athlete named to the preseason team.
The preseason team includes five seniors, four juniors, and eleven sophomores.
Kansas Wesleyan opens its cross country season on September 1 at the Terry Masterson Twilight in Hutchinson.
2022 KCAC MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON TEAM
| NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | HOMETOWN | 2021 KCAC CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH |
| Brig Merritt | University of Saint Mary | Sr. | Iola, Kan. | 3rd |
| Ablel Gebreselase | Southwestern College | Sr. | Baltimore, Md. | 4th |
| Elvis Rojas-King | University of Saint Mary | Jr. | Beaumont, Calif. | 8th |
| Ryan Heline | University of Saint Mary | So. | Lindsborg, Kan. | 9th |
| Liam Neidig | University of Saint Mary | So. | Lansing, Kan. | 10th |
| Dylan Stolzfus | University of Saint Mary | So. | Wichita, Kan. | 11th |
| Brock Lauer | McPherson College | So. | Strong City, Kan. | 17th |
| Kaden Cooley | University of Saint Mary | So. | Olathe, Kan. | 20th |
| Brayden Myers | University of Saint Mary | Jr. | Basehor, Kan. | 21st |
| Dawson Adams | University of Saint Mary | So. | Topeka, Kan. | 22nd |
| Gus Stephanos | University of Saint Mary | Sr. | San Diego, Calif. | 24th |
| Shane Calvin | Kansas Wesleyan University | Jr. | Lakin, Kan. | 25th |
| Meseret Elgin | Southwestern College | Sr. | Mequon, Wis. | 26th |
| Luis Perez | University of Saint Mary | So. | Liberty, Mo. | 27th |
| Luke Schmidt | Bethel College | So. | Newton, Kan. | 29th |
| Nathaniel Standley | Friends University | Sr. | Park City, Kan. | 30th |
| Giovanni Rios | Kansas Wesleyan University | So. | Temecula, Calif. | 31st |
| Austin Hess | Kansas Wesleyan University | Jr. | Garden City, Kan. | 32nd |
| Justin Morwood | Tabor College | So. | Austin, Texas | 36th |
| Jackson Montei-Wallace | Bethany College | So. | Pratt, Kan. | 37th |
