The Midwest Conference released the 2022-23 preseason coaches poll for men's track on Thursday.
Voting is done by the MWC head men's track coaches. Each coach votes for the other eight schools in the league in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (eight points for first, seven for second, etc.). Coaches may not vote for their own teams.
Defending indoor and outdoor league champion Ripon College was atop the poll with 63 points and seven of a possible nine first place votes. The other two first place votes went to Monmouth College, which was second with 56 points. Cornell College and Grinnell College tied for third place with 44 points apiece.
The Foresters have seven returning athletes on the team, including sophomore Bart Brophy, who was 11th in the 800m run and competed on both of Lake Forest's relay teams at the 2022 MWC Indoor Championships.
Patrick Austin's first indoor and second outdoor season as the program's head coach will begin with this Saturday's Forever Red Alumni Classic at Carthage College. The team will also compete in six indoor meets during the spring semester before traveling to Illinois College for the 2023 MWC Indoor Track and Field Championships February 24-25. The team will also participate in six outdoor meets prior to the MWC Outdoor Championships May 12-13.
Lake Forest, which has historically competed primarily in the distance events, finished ninth at last year's conference meets and ranked ninth in this season's poll of head coaches.
| PLACE | TEAM (First Place Votes) | POINTS |
| 1 | Ripon College (7) | 63 |
| 2 | Monmouth College (2) | 56 |
| 3t | Cornell College | 44 |
| 3t | Grinnell College | 44 |
| 5t | Illinois College | 32 |
| 5t | Knox College | 32 |
| 7 | Lawrence University | 28 |
| 8 | Beloit College | 17 |
| 9 | Lake Forest College | 8 |
