UC Santa Cruz tops the 2022 Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll, following a vote among the conference head coaches. The Banana Slugs, who have won the past two crowns, collected 25 points and five first-place votes to lead the rankings.

Christopher Newport earned the final first-place vote and 19 points to finish second. Salisbury was a close third with 17 points. 

Mary Washington placed fourth with 15 points, while Pratt was fifth with nine points.  Warren Wilson had five points to close out the rankings.

The 2023 season kicks off the first week of September with the C2C Cross Country Championships being hosted by UC Santa Cruz on Saturday, October 28. The meet will take place at Baylands Regional Park in Sunnyvale, California.

Below is a brief preview of each men's cross country team entering the 2023 season: 

UC Santa Cruz: The Banana Slugs return five of the top seven runners from last year's C2C Champion squad, including individual Champ Eric Jackson and C2C Newcomer of the Year Luke Holland.  Juniors Eric Anderson, Brett Bailey, Raymond Ingersoll, and Casey Orton are all eying improved times with an eye on making the NCAA Championships.  Nine talented newcomers augment the squad's depth as the Banana Slugs face a tough schedule with their first two meets at Division I schools.

Christopher Newport: Following a fifth-place finish at the NCAA South Regionals last year, the Christopher Newport men's cross country team enters 2023 with a veteran-laden collection of standouts at the forefront of the roster. Leading the way, senior Daniel Ferrante advanced to the NCAA Championships in 2022 after securing All-Conference and All-Region nods. Head coach Tyler Wingard's team also features three other seniors, including John Vogel, who was an All-Conference honoree last season.

Salisbury: Salisbury men's cross country placed third at the 2022 C2C Championships and brings back five of its top six runners from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships. Sam Bodmer enters 2023 coming off a Second-Team All-C2C run at the league championships that saw him place 12th in 25:08.9. Matt Grossi looks to add another All-Region honor to his 2021 nod, while Connor Kinch takes aim for all-conference laurels after finishing three slots shy as a freshman in 2022.

Mary Washington: Mary Washington second year head coach Asia Hart's Eagles will sport a new look this autumn, with ten new members added to the fold of a group that finished fourth at the C2C Championships. Veteran returnees Luke Blair, Michael Dye, Aidan Kimener, Jacob Lohr, and senior Dylan Wright will provide leadership and speed for a group that features several top newcomers that will challenge for top-five honors each weekend.  

Pratt: After joining Pratt last spring, head coach Colin Norwood begins his first season leading the cross country team and inherits a team that finished 17th in the 2022 NCAA Metro Region Championship. Junior Dominic Paolini, sophomore Ian Chen, and senior Daniel Bhopaul are the top returnees and were part of the scoring five at Regionals.

Warren Wilson: New head coach Chris Ramirez has a trio of returners - Henry Berta, Trevor Nail, and Aidan Saunders - along with eight newcomers.  The Owls welcome six new runners including Hullibutton Chinyama (Harare, Zimbabwe), Evan Aronson (West Springfield, Mass.), Roan Church (Tacoma, Wash.), and Zack Schaumburg (Las Vegas, Nev.).  Current WWC students Sam Kobylarz and Will Cox will also join the men's squad this year.