GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Furman men’s cross country team is ranked 25th in the FloTrack preseason poll, as announced Monday by the organization.

The Paladins, the defending Southeast Region champions, have won five straight Southern Conference titles and placed 26th at last year’s NCAA Championships. Senior Aaron Templeton, the 2017 SoCon Runner of the Year, returns to lead Furman after winning the SoCon individual title last season. Sophomore Daniel Bernal, the 2017 SoCon Freshman of the Year, will also return in 2018, along with 2017 All-SoCon selections Mason Coppi, Ryan Adams, and Jake Ogden. Incoming freshman Cameron Ponder joins the team after posting the nation’s top mile time among his graduating class.

“It is always great to be ranked on FloTrack,” said Furman head coach Robert Gary. “We know, having spent the vast majority of the year inside the top 10 last fall, that it’s the last ranking that matter most, but I think it speak volumes to the state of our men’s program that we lost a couple of great runners and still are ranked so high. That being said, we will be better than that come November.”

Furman opens the 2018 season Aug. 31 at the Eye Opener meet in Spartanburg, South Carolina.