The Youngstown State men's cross country program was named the 2025 Under Armour #HLXC preseason favorite with nine of the possible 10 first-place votes, while the women's program was slated to finish second, receiving two first-place votes, the Horizon League announced Thursday.

The men received 98 points in their first-place nod after winning the Horizon League Championship in each of the last three seasons. They will look for their fourth consecutive conference title at the HL Championships on Nov. 1st in Fort Wayne, Ind. IU Indianapolis was slated to finish second, receiving one first-place vote and 86 points. Oakland was selected to finish third with 73 points, while Green Bay was slated fourth with 63. Rounding out the top five are Northern Kentucky and Purdue Fort Wayne, who each received 55 points.

2025 Under Armour Men's #HLXC Preseason Poll

Place. Team (First Place Votes) – Points

1. Youngstown State (9) – 98

2. IU Indianapolis (1) – 86

3. Oakland – 73

4. Green Bay – 63

T5. Northern Kentucky – 55

T5. Purdue Fort Wayne – 55

7. Milwaukee – 38

8. Wright State – 34

9. Detroit Mercy – 31

10. RMU – 17

The women received 102 points as the second-place selection. Robert Morris was slated to first with 111 points and seven first-place votes. Oakland was selected to finish third with 99 points and received one first-place vote. Purdue Fort Wayne was picked to finish fourth with 97 points and also received one first-place vote. Milwaukee completed the preseason top five, garnering 82 points.

2025 Under Armour Women's #HLXC Preseason Poll

Place. Team (First Place Votes) – Points

1. RMU (7) – 111

2. Youngstown State (2) – 102

3. Oakland (1) – 99

4. Purdue Fort Wayne(1) – 97

5. Milwaukee – 82

6. IU Indianapolis – 67

7. Northern Kentucky – 48

8. Detroit Mercy – 40

9. Green Bay – 36

10. Wright State – 24

11. Cleveland State – 20

The Penguins will open the season in Fort Wayne, Ind., when they compete in the Mastodon Alumni Open on Saturday, Sept. 6.

For live updates and results throughout the 2025 season, follow @YSUTrackFieldXC on X.