Morningside’s men’s cross country team is ranked eighth nationally in the NAIA.

Morningside College is ranked eighth in the nation in the NAIA Men’s Cross Country Coaches’ Pre-Season Poll.

The Mustangs achieved their highest ranking in the history of their cross country program.

The two-time reigning Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Mustangs are coming off a 13th place finish at last year’s NAIA Cross Country National Championships. Morningside has seven of its top nine runners back from last year’s team, led by returning All-GPAC performers Alec DeVries, a junior from Merrill, Iowa, and Mark Abrams, a senior from Glenwood, Iowa.

Morningside is one of three teams from the GPAC ranked in the NAIA Pre-Season Top 25. The Mustangs are joined by Northwestern College, which is ranked 16th, and Dordt College, which is ranked 25th.

Morningside will open the 2015 cross country season at the Augustana College Twilight Meet on Friday, Sept. 4.

Click here for the complete NAIA men’s cross country Top 25.