WICHITA, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons have been picked to finish second in both the KCAC Preseason Coaches' and Media polls, announced today (Oct. 16) by the conference office.

The Falcons were second by a slim margin to Oklahoma Wesleyan University in each poll. In the coaches' poll, OKWU received seven first-place votes to six for the Falcons and one for Bethel College.  OKWU then got six first-place votes in the media survey compared to five for the Falcons, with the University of Saint Mary garnering the lone other first-place nod.

Bethel and Saint Mary were tied for third in the coaches' poll, followed by Southwestern College within the top five. Saint Mary was also third in the media poll, with Southwestern and Bethel rounding out the top five.

Under KCAC Coach of the Year Phil McClintock in his third season at the helm, the Falcons lose KCAC Co-Player of the Year and NAIA All-America performer KJ Spiller, but return an All-KCAC trio of Randy Woolf, Jr., Cahlese Lee and Ringo Deng.

The Falcons are looking to build off their best season in six years that saw the program's most wins (24) since the 2018-19 season along with the team's first NAIA Postseason win since 2013-14 and a second-place KCAC finish.

"It was obviously a good year last season, we do return a lot but every year is different," McClintock said during his KCAC Media segment today. "Guys will be in different roles. We were the hunter last year, but this year we'll have a target on our back."

The Falcons will open the 2025-26 season at home on Oct. 25 against Northwestern College (Iowa) at 1 pm inside the Garvey Center. Northwestern will provide a stern early test after finishing last year at 24-4 overall and ranked No. 13 in the final NAIA Coaches' poll.