Greenville University Leads Women’s Cross Country in SLIAC Preseason Poll

Greenville University is favored to win the 2026 SLIAC women’s cross country championship, according to the preseason coaches’ poll released Monday. The Panthers received 64 points and eight first-place votes, reaffirming their status as the team to beat, despite the graduation of Norah Atkins.

Alexis Martinez, a Greenville senior, is on the league’s watch list. She became the first runner since 2010 to earn both the SLIAC Runner of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards in the same season. Martinez is joined by fellow All-Conference runners Alivia Clayton, Natali Roth, Raven Vance, and Lydia Cahill. Newcomers Morgan Hart and Morgan Sturges add depth to the lineup, according to the team’s coaching staff.

Webster University and Lyon College tied for second in the poll, each with 42 points. Webster, led by coach Kyle Robinson, finished eighth last season but has added runners such as Violet Hill, Brie Inman, Lydia Imboden, and transfers Brooklynn Leeper, Selene Ahlersmeyer, Ayanna Lyons, Marrisa Usher, Zoe Click, and Eman Elsayed. The Gorloks aim to improve significantly this year.

Lyon College, under first-year coach Katherine Mayberry, finished third at last year’s conference meet. The Scots’ top runners include Brooklynn Collins and Maddie DeRoussel, both of whom earned Second Team All-Conference honors last season. New athlete Briley Brown will help strengthen the roster.

Principia College sits fourth with 40 points. Head coach Justin Halley’s squad is led by junior Nina Martinez, who finished 18th at last year’s conference meet with a season-best time of 27:49. Lily Hohner and Quintasia Evans also contribute to the Panthers’ lineup. Missouri Western State (MUW) is fifth with 37 points, anchored by Hannah Owens, a three-time all-conference runner and the program’s all-time best 6K finisher. Owens placed eighth at last year’s conference championship.

Blackburn College received 34 points, placing sixth. Head coach Noah Daum’s team retains several runners from last season, including Sophia Palmier, who finished as the team’s second runner in her freshman year. Spalding University (31 points) and Westminster College (18 points) follow in seventh and eighth, respectively. Eureka College rounds out the poll with 16 points, led by Zoe Stoecker, who aims for a strong final season.

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