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TSR's 2026 NCAA Preseason D2 XC Top 25 Rankings: #25-21 (Men)
Written by Sarah Turner, edits & additional commentary via Gavin Struve
25. Jack Gumm, Senior, Adams State
Although he doesn't have a long runway to do so, Jack Gumm has already started to make an impact for one of Division Two's preeminent cross country programs -- and he figures to do so even more this fall.
Last fall, Gumm finished runner-up at his opening meet, on his new team's home course. However, as the season progressed, he established himself as a top name even further as the Adams State product comported himself especially well on high-pressure stages.
He placed 15th at the loaded Lucian Rosa Invitational put Gumm right in the thick of some All-American hopefuls. A 13th-place finish at the RMAC XC Championships was arguably even better, as Gumm closed out the scoring en route to the Grizzlies' conference team title.
Gumm's 68th-place finish at the NCAA XC Championships didn't quite live up to the All-American potential that he showed. However, it was still a solid foray into NCAA Championship racing, and Gumm gained plenty more national meet experience throughout the rest of the academic year. After all, he reached the NCAA Indoor Championships in the mile and the DMR as well as the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the 1500 meters.
If he adds the experience and firepower that he showed on the track to the strength and consistency that he displayed last fall, then Gumm could be the crucial scorer that the Grizzlies need in order to keep their national title aspirations alive.
24. Ewen Guilmois, Freshman, Wingate
Ewen Guilmois is the only true freshman to crack our top-25, but his resume makes him impossible to overlook. As one of the newest additions to an already loaded Wingate roster, he has the potential to make an immediate impact on a program that has traditionally taken a patient approach with its young talent.
So why place so much confidence in a freshman as a potential All-American?
Well, the credentials speak for themselves. Guilmois finished 9th at the 2026 French XC Championships and owns personal bests of 3:45 (1500) and 29:15 (10k roads), all achieved within the past year. Few current D2 stars have that kind of range -- and Guilmois brings it into his freshman season.
While freshmen often face a steep learning curve at the NCAA level, particularly in terms of race management and experience, Guilmois arrives with plenty of high-level competitions already under his belt. His international racing background suggests that he is better prepared to handle the demands of collegiate cross country more than most first-year runners.
Among the freshman class, Guilmois possess one of the highest floors in the country entering this season. And given Wingate’s track record of transforming international recruits into elite Division Two standouts, he appears well-positioned to become the program’s next success story.
23. Chakib Cherkaoui Rhazouani, Junior, Adams State
Based on what we've seen so far, Chakib Cherkaoui Rhazouani appears poised to make an immediate impact for the Grizzlies. During his time at Iowa Central Community College, he quickly established himself as one of the top JUCO distance runners in the country.
Now joining the Grizzlies, he'll be tasked with helping fill the void left by the departures of two of the program's top scorers, Kidus Begashaw and Housem Hrabi. And while replacing that production won't be easy, Rhazouani has the pedigree to step into a significant role right away.
The newest Adams State ace placed 3rd at the 2025 NJCAA D3 XC Championships, helping Iowa Central capture the national team title. He followed that up with a 7th-place finish over 10,000 meters at the NJCAA Outdoor Championships this past May, further demonstrating his ability to perform on the biggest stages. We also can't neglect to mention his impressive 14:16 (5k) PR, either.
Perhaps more importantly, he won the Hawkeye Invite over Iowa and Drake runners and finished close behind D2 stars at the Chile Pepper XC Festival.
Although this will be his first season competing at the NCAA level, recent history has shown that top JUCO transfers can make a seamless transition and contend with the nation's best. Given his resume and championship experience, there's every reason to believe that Rhazouani can do the same.
22. Braden Struhs, Rs. Senior, Colorado Mines
After spending the past few seasons developing within one of Division Two's deepest programs, Braden Struhs looks ready to take on a much larger role for the Orediggers this fall.
Sure, Struhs was not a scoring contributor on the Colorado Mines squad that finished 3rd at the 2025 NCAA XC Championships, but his performances over the past year suggest that he'll be a big part of the Orediggers' podium hopes in 2026.
This past spring, Struhs proved that he can compete with the nation's best, earning his first All-American honor with an 8th-place finish over 10,000 meters at the outdoor national meet. The rising Colorado Mines star also reached a new level of fitness on the outdoor oval, running a personal best 28:55 for 10,000 meters. That was the NCAA #5 mark recorded in Division Two this year.
On the cross country course last fall, Struhs delivered several encouraging performances. He placed 23rd at the RMAC XC Championships and finished 13th at the Lucian Rosa Invitational, where he was the third Oredigger across the line.
Those results point to an athlete trending in the right direction, in spite of an "off" day at the South Central regional meet in 2025 (80th place) compared to 2024 (20th). With another summer of training behind him and opportunities opening up in the lineup, Struhs appears well-positioned to become a key scoring piece for an Oredigger team that has perennial national title aspirations.
21. Daniel Appleford, Rs. Senior, Colorado Mines
Here's another Oredigger poised for a significantly larger role this season.
While he did not crack Colorado Mines' lineup at the 2025 cross country national meet, Daniel Appleford's performances over the past year suggest that he's more-than-capable of becoming a key contributor for one of the nation's top programs.
Last fall, Appleford finished 9th at the RMAC XC Championships as the third Oredigger across the line, showing us that he was already capable of holding his own among the conference's elite runners. He carried that momentum to track, earning a 10th-place finish over 5000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (in his first-ever national meet appearance).
That result came two meets after he ran a flashy personal best of 13:50 (5k) and one meet after he became the RMAC Championship runner-up over the same distance. Those performances represented a significant jump forward and highlight the level of fitness that Appleford has developed heading into the fall of 2026.
With openings in the lineup and another year of experience under his belt, Appleford appears ready to take the next step. The talent is clearly there and has been since he was a prep star at Newbury Park High School; he just needs to put it all together consistently in the way he did this past spring.
His emergence would provide valuable scoring depth behind the already established Dawson Gunn, giving the Orediggers yet another weapon as they pursue a return to the podium in Kansas City this fall.
