No. 21-Ranked Men’s Cross Country Projected to Repeat as MIAA Champion

The 21st-ranked and reigning MIAA champion Hope College men's cross country team claimed the top spot unanimously in the 2026 MIAA Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll.

The Flying Dutch finished with 49 points after receiving all seven possible first-place votes. Coaches could not vote for their team.

Hope topped second-place Trine University (41 points and one first-place vote). Calvin University took third with 38 points and was followed by Kalamazoo College (32), Adrian College (22), Albion College at The University of Olivet (16 apiece) and Alma College (10).

Led by head coach Mark Northuis '82, the Flying Dutch return most of their all-region selections from last season that propelled them to Great Lakes Regional and MIAA championships. Junior Logan Begeman of Portage, Michigan (Portage Central) leads the pack after placing eighth in the 2025 NCAA regional and first at the MIAA Championships.

Hope also brings back decorated standouts such as senior Nile Devers of Gobles, Michigan (Gobles), juniors Cooper Jacobsen of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Forest Hills Eastern) and Elias Kretchmar of Granville, Ohio (Granville), and sophomores Aiden Moore of Battle Creek, Michigan (Lakeview) and Elijah Forbord of Howell, Michigan (Brighton).

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Players Mentioned

Logan Begeman: Sophomore; Mechanical Engineering

Cooper Jacobsen: Sophomore; Exercise Science

Elias Kretchmar: Sophomore; Mechanical Engineering

Nile Devers: Junior; Exercise Science

Elijah Forbord: Freshman

Aiden Moore: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Logan Begeman
: Sophomore; Mechanical Engineering

Cooper Jacobsen
: Sophomore; Exercise Science

Elias Kretchmar
: Sophomore; Mechanical Engineering

Nile Devers
: Junior; Exercise Science

Elijah Forbord
: Freshman

Aiden Moore
: Freshman