Wayne State College is listed seventh in the 2026 NSIC Men's Outdoor Track and Field Preseason Coaches' Poll released Thursday morning by the league office in Burnsville, Minnesota, collecting 61 points in voting conducted by league coaches.  Junior high jumper Cain Brown and sophomore sprinter Mitchell Hupp have been tabbed as Wildcat Athletes to Watch in the NSIC this season. 
            Minnesota State, winners of 13 straight NSIC outdoor track and field championships, was listed as the team to beat again this season receiving 11 first-place votes and 121 points with the University of Mary second at 102 points.  MSU Moorhead was third with 100 points and the remaining first-place vote (coaches can not vote for their own team).  Augustana (93) and Northern State (81) filled out the top five teams. 
            Sioux Falls was sixth with 71 points followed by Wayne State in seventh (61).  Minnesota Duluth (58), Concordia-St. Paul (42) and Southwest Minnesota State with 27 points rounded out the top 10 teams.  Jamestown and Minot State each received 18 points to close out the coaches' poll. 
            Brown, a junior high jumper from Williamsburg, Iowa and a transfer from Iowa Western Community College, was listed as the Wildcat Field Athlete to Watch.  He is coming off a stellar indoor season earning All-American First Team honors placing in a tie for fifth at last weekend's NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships clearing 6' 11".  Brown also earned All-NSIC honors with a third-place finish during the indoor season at 6' 8 ¼". 
            Hupp, a sophomore sprinter from Stanton (Stanton HS), was selected as the Wildcat Track Athlete to Watch this year.  As a freshman last season he was fourth in the 100-meter dash (10.42) and 200-meter dash (21.13) while also running legs on the first-place 4 x 100-meter relay team and second-place 4 x 400 meter relay team.
            Wayne State College is scheduled to open the 2026 outdoor season on Friday, March 27^th and Saturday, March 28^th hosting the annual Wildcat Outdoor Classic at Bob Cunningham Field and LeRoy Simpson Track.