INDIANAPOLIS – Lewis was voted in the preseason coaches’ poll as the choice to win the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) men’s indoor track & field title, the league office announced on Wednesday.
The preseason poll is selected by the league’s head coaches, who, per GLVC Bylaws, are not permitted to vote for their own team.
No. 1 Lewis
- Received nine first-place votes and 141 total points
- Finished as runners-up at GLVC Championship last season and tied for 18th at the NCAA National Championship.
- Coached by Dana Schwarting, who enters his 20th season and has won GLVC Coach of the Year twice (2016, 2024)
- Return five league champions – GLVC Field Athlete and All-American Levi Graham (weight throw), All-American Evan Horgan (1-mile, 3000-meter, and DMR), and Cael Hiser (DMR)
No. 2 Lincoln
- Received four first-place votes and 125 total points
- Won the GLVC Title in their first season in the conference.
- Placed ninth at the NCAA National Championship in 2025.
- Coached by 2025 GLVC Coach of the Year Victor Thomas, who enters his 24th season in charge.
- Return six GLVC individual champions –GLVC Track Athlete of the Year and All-American Emmanuel Rwotomiya (400m, 4x400m relay, and 200m), National Champion Wesley Tyndall (Long Jump), Malik Drummond (Triple Jump), and Dmitri Beckford (60m).
No. 3 Indianapolis
- Received 118 total points
- Finished third at GLVC Championship and 13th at the National Championship last season
- Coached by Brad Robinson in his second season at the helm
- Return 800m champion and All-American Josue Le Cadre as well as All-American Alex Meyer in the long jump.
No. 4 Missouri S&T
- Received 111 total points
- Finished fifth at GLVC Championship last season
- Coached by Nikki Segrest, who enters her first season after spending the past five years as an assistant coach at Northwest Missouri St.
Rounding out the poll respectively in fifth through 13th was Southwest Baptist (92 points), Drury (79), Maryville (78), Truman State (72), McKendree (45), Illinois Springfield (40), William Jewell (38, Rockhurst (38), and Quincy (27).
The complete poll and voting results can be found below.
| Place |
School |
Points (1st-place votes) |
| 1. |
Lewis |
141 (9) |
| 2. |
Lincoln |
135 (4) |
| 3. |
Indianapolis |
118 |
| 4. |
Missouri S&T |
111 |
| 5. |
Southwest Baptist |
92 |
| 6. |
Drury |
79 |
| 7. |
Maryville |
78 |
| 8. |
Truman State |
72 |
| 9. |
McKendree |
45 |
| 10. |
Illinois Springfield |
40 |
| 11. |
Rockhurst |
38 |
|
William Jewell |
38 |
| 13. |
Quincy |
27 |