DU women’s track & field picked 6th, men’s team in GLVC preseason poll

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— The Drury women’s track & field team is picked sixth and the men’s squad is picked ninth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason poll, released by the league on Thursday. Both teams received a first place vote in the poll.
 
The Drury women’s squad finished seventh at last year’s GLVC Championships and returns Zoe Van Dijk, who won the league title in the 5000 meter run in 2023. Ozark native and senior Ashley Childers earned two medals at the GLVC indoor track & field championships earlier this year.
 
Lewis, the seven-time defending GLVC champion, was received 11 first-place votes and is picked to win the league again. Indianapolis was picked second and Southwest Baptist was selected to finish third.
 
The Drury men’s team was 11^th at the GLVC Championships last season. The Panthers bring back JP Godwin, a sophomore who was a medalist at the GLVC Championships in the 110 meter hurdles in 2023. The Panthers were eighth at the league’s indoor championship and featured Nolan Moeller, a medalist in the 800 meter run, and their distance medley relay team was the league runner-up.
 
Lewis received seven first place votes and 164 points in the poll and is picked to win the league. Missouri S&T had five first place votes and was picked second with 135 points, while Indianapolis was picked third with 121 points.
 
Luke Karamitros, hired to lead the program earlier this year, will enter his first season as the Drury men’s and women’s track & field head coach. Drury’s outdoor season opener is Friday when they compete in the Springfield Showdown, hosted by Missouri State.
 
The complete poll and voting results can be found below.
GLVC WOMEN’S COACHES’ POLL

 
GLVC MEN’S COACHES’ POLL

 
 
 
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