ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Emory & Henry University Men's Lacrosse Team has been picked to finish 10th in the South Atlantic Conference this year by the league's head coaches. The poll was released by the SAC office on Friday.
RELATED – SAC Preseason Poll & Preseason All-Conference Team
E&H welcomes a class of 10 freshmen and a pair of transfers that will look to inject energy and production into the lineup. E&H finished the 2025 inaugural campaign 0-14 overall and 0-9 in the SAC.
Wingate University, the reigning SAC Tournament Champion is first in the poll with seven of 10 first-place votes. Anderson (S.C.) University sits in second with two first-place nods while Lenoir-Rhyne University is in third with the final first-place selection. Newberry College is fourth and Catawba College rounds out the top five.
Coker University has been selected to finish sixth while Mars Hill University is seventh and Lincoln Memorial University sits in eighth. Tusculum University and Emory & Henry round out the voting in ninth and 10th respectively.
Additionally the SAC has named its Preseason All-Conference Team and Players to Watch List with junior attack Jacob Mills (Culpeper, Va.), sophomore midfielder David Mewes (Greenville, S.C.), sophomore defender Noah Parrish (Manassas, Va.), freshman attack Jackson Jones (Salem, Va.), freshman attack Gavin Starling (McKinney, Texas) and freshman defender Brayden Hall (Salem, Va.) making the list for the Wasps.
Emory & Henry gets the season underway on Friday, February 13 on the road at Young Harris College.
--E&H--
2026 SAC Men's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank School (first place votes) Points
1. Wingate (7) 104
2. Anderson (2) 97
3. Lenoir-Rhyne (1) 96
4. Newberry 87
5. Catawba 76
6. Coker 65
7. Mars Hill 59
8. Lincoln Memorial 56
9. Tusculum 44
10. Emory & Henry 36
2026 SAC Men's Lacrosse Preseason Players to Watch
Anderson: Radyn Badraun, Ryan Bitterman, Brayden Bushnoe, Aiden Dixon, Garrett Krsul, Adin Laughlin
Catawba: Owen Conway, Steven Hernandez, Kier McKnight, Tanner Stout, Garrett Simi, Peyton Turner
Coker: Lennon Connolly, Michael Jensen, Brandon Calidonio, Ryan Forehand, Kaleb Hiltz, Elijah Utz
Emory & Henry: David Mewes, Jackson Jones, Gavin Starling, Brayden Hall, Jacob Mills, Noah Parrish
Lenoir-Rhyne: Donovan Powell, Morgan Madish, Matt Mancini, Jarrett Huff, Zack Salo, Parks Painter
Lincoln Memorial: Jenson Jones, Koen Burdette, Beckett O'Shea, Dominico Moscato, Connor Blondin, Lucas Weaver
Mars Hill: Sam Arendt, Jake Lynch, AJ Howland, Lukas Kight
Newberry: Brian Lake, Liam Vollans, Jaiden Terry, Ryan Morrison, Gage Vigar, Scott Williams
Tusculum: Luke Bowen, Tysen Fontenla, Aiden Lyman, Aiden Paczek, Jayden Rios, Ben Royer
Wingate: Kyle Spence, Joey Moran, Jaxon Grant, Graham Tillett, Quad Williams, Sam Goss