RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – After coming off a dominant indoor season and back-to-back top-five national finishes, the Harding men's track and field team has been voted the preseason favorite to win the 2026 Great American Conference outdoor title.
The Bisons collected five first-place votes in the annual coaches' poll released Tuesday by the league office. Harding enters the spring as the four-time defending GAC champions and will have the opportunity to defend their title on home turf, as the 2026 GAC Outdoor Championships return to Searcy from April 29 through May 1.
National Powerhouse Returns to the Track
Harding's status as the preseason favorite is bolstered by a roster that features some of the most decorated athletes in NCAA Division II history.
Leading the way is pole vault sensation Vlad Malykhin, who continues to rewrite the record books. Malykhin owns seven national titles in the event, including the 2025 Outdoor and most recently the 2026 Indoor crowns. He is joined by fellow All-Americans Anton Kopytko and Yves Bilong, both of whom secured top-eight national finishes last spring to help the Bisons reach the podium at the NCAA Championships.
The Bisons' dominance in the sprints also remains intact. Caledon Ruwende, the reigning GAC champion in both the 100 and 200 meters, returns to lead a sprint unit that swept the 4x100 and 4x400 relays a year ago. He is joined by Hayes Cox, the defending GAC decathlon champion, and Savian Bush, a 110-meter hurdle specialist who took third place at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The Field of Challengers
Oklahoma Baptist received two first-place votes and was picked to finish second. The Bison recently impressed at the 2026 Indoor National Championships, where their 4x400 relay earned First-Team All-American honors. However, OBU will face the task of replacing Sean Dixon, the program's first Division II national champion in the 400-meter hurdles.
Southern Arkansas was selected third, led by triple jumper Keith Smith, the first Mulerider to earn Indoor All-American honors. Ouachita Baptist took the fourth spot, followed by Northwestern Oklahoma State, East Central, and Southern Nazarene. The Crimson Storm features defending GAC javelin champion and national qualifier Colter Bufford.
2026 GAC Men's Track & Field Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team (First-Place Votes) |
| 1 |
Harding (5) |
| 2 |
Oklahoma Baptist (2) |
| 3 |
Southern Arkansas |
| 4 |
Ouachita Baptist |
| 5 |
Northwestern Oklahoma State |
| 6 |
East Central |
| 7 |
Southern Nazarene |
Championships in Searcy
For the first time since 2022, the road to the GAC trophy runs through the Ted and Marcie Lloyd Track and Field Complex. All seven men's programs will converge on Searcy for the three-day championship meet beginning Wednesday, April 29.
