By CHAD COOPER
WISE, Va. — Former Grundy High School standout Alexsis Porter will enter her senior cross country season at UVA Wise with conference recognition already beside her name.
Porter, a Grundy native, was selected as one of UVA Wise’s Runners to Watch as the South Atlantic Conference released its 2026 preseason cross country coaches polls and preseason honors Thursday.
Porter is one of three former Buchanan County high school standouts on the UVA Wise women’s cross country roster this season. Former Hurley High School standout Jayda Hilton returns for her sophomore season, while former Council High School standout Ella Rasnake begins her collegiate career as a freshman.
Porter is coming off a junior season in which she established personal-best times in both the 4K and 5K and recorded a pair of third-place finishes.
She turned in a time of 14:58.8 in the 4K at the Virginia Tech Invitational and later posted an 18:41.4 in the 5K at the Southern Showcase.
Porter made her mark as a distance runner at Grundy High School before continuing her career at the collegiate level with the Highland Cavaliers. She now heads into her final season as one of the runners the conference has identified to watch in 2026.
UVA Wise placed ninth in both the men’s and women’s SAC preseason coaches polls.
Joining Porter on the women’s Runners to Watch list for UVA Wise is junior Shay Cannon of Bristol, Virginia. Cannon recorded a personal-best time of 17:11.6 at the Virginia Tech Invitational last season and finished the 6K SAC Championship in 30:41.7.
Sophomores Dylan Colander and Patton Shortt were selected as UVA Wise’s men’s Runners to Watch.
Colander, a Waynesboro, Virginia, native, recorded five top-40 finishes during his freshman season.
His year included a sixth-place finish at the Royals Challenge and a 10th-place showing at the SAC Championship Preview, both 8K races. He also finished 35th in the 10K SAC Championship.
Shortt, a Pound, Virginia, native, posted three top-50 finishes last season. He completed the SAC Championship in 37:33.6.
Defending national champion Wingate was selected as the preseason favorite on the men’s side. Anderson was picked second, followed by Catawba, Lincoln Memorial, Lenoir-Rhyne, Emory & Henry, Mars Hill, Tusculum, UVA Wise, Carson-Newman, Newberry and Coker.
Wingate also topped the women’s preseason poll, followed by Catawba, Anderson, Lincoln Memorial, Lenoir-Rhyne, Carson-Newman, Mars Hill, Emory & Henry, UVA Wise, Tusculum, Newberry and Coker.
Porter, Hilton, Rasnake and the Highland Cavaliers will begin the 2026 season Sept. 4 at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg.
UVA Wise is also scheduled to compete in the Queen City Invite and Royals Challenge in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the UAH Invitational in Huntsville, Alabama.
The season will lead into the SAC Championship, which will be hosted by Wingate.
