HCAC Pre-Season Men's Coaches Poll

BLUFFTON, Ohio - With the 2022 cross country season just around the corner, first-year Head Coach Connor Gulick, a 2020 Bluffton alum, is ready for his inaugural season at the helm. The cupboard is far from empty and the Beavers are ready to put on display the work they have done in preparing for 2022.

The Bluffton women showed consistent improvement throughout the 2021 season with a crescendo at the Heartland Conference championships when they missed out on a 4th place finish by a mere two points.

Leading the way for Bluffton was freshman Basil Gates (Galion) who notched All-Heartland Conference honors with her sparkling 4th place finish at Blue River and was named HCAC Newcomer of the Year. Fellow 2021 newcomer Sammie Unger (Kenton) also showed her mettle as freshman.

Junior Miranda Billman (Castalia/Margaretta) took 29th at the conference championship in 2021 after earning All-HCAC honors as a freshman. Women's captain Jenia Freewalt (Delphos/St. John's) battled injury throughout her sophomore campaign after securing a top 12 finish and with that HCAC All-Conference honors as a freshman when the conference championship was staged in March due to COVID-19.

Junior Alex Montross (Perrysburg) placed 19th at the HCAC Championship with a time of 28:32, earning honorable mention All-HCAC in the process. Sophomores Adam Menser (North Ridgeville) and Cole Kropka (New London) both broke 30 minutes in the pinnacle race, adding up to 38th and 41st, respectively. Senior Morgan Adams (Dublin/Coffman) returns to cross country after focusing on track and field the past two years.

Juniors Ethan Ly (Celina) and Zach Boch (Lancaster) have both been integral members on the men's side. Also back are sophomores Braeden Horn (Galion) and Tyson Lesher (Millbury/Genoa Area) who successfully navigated the transition from high school to collegiate mileage in 2021.

Youth is again a strength for the Beavers in 2022. The men have four 6th place finishes at the conference on their resume during the last five years following a 4th place finish in 2016, while the women placed second twice in the past six years to go along with a third place finish in 2017.

Bluffton will host the 2022 HCAC Championship on Saturday, Oct. 29.

-BEAVERS-