COLBY, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Division 1 Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released Tuesday.

The league coaches picked Seward to finish in fourth out of six schools. Cowley was picked to win the league followed by Barton and Dodge City. Seward was selected to finish fourth while Coffeyville and Garden City were tied for fifth. KCKCC dropped to Division 2 following the 2024 season leaving the Division 1 side with six competing schools for the upcoming season.

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH (AS VOTED ON BY KJCCC COACHES)

1. Cowley
2. Barton
3. Dodge City
4. Seward County
T5. Coffeyville
T5. Garden City

The Saints finished 8-6-5 overall and 3-4-5 in conference play in 2024, good for a fourth place finish out of seven in the league.

Head coach Jaime Beltran returns for his third season leading the charge as he was hired in 2022 to start the program. The Saints have finished .500 or above in both seasons as well as making an appearance in the Region 6 Tournament in both seasons. The 2024 season saw Seward advance to the Region 6 Semifinals after their first playoff win in program history taking down KCKCC in the quarterfinals.

The Saints return 11 student-athletes from 2024.

Seward will take on Oklahoma Panhandle State in an exhibition at 7 p.m. on Thursday before traveling to Tabor University on Tuesday, August 19th, for a 7 p.m. game to close out the preseason slate. Seward’s season opener is slated for Saturday, Aug. 23rd, at 7 p.m. vs Trinidad State College at Redskin Field.