Winner of 15 consecutive conference titles Claremont-Mudd-Scripps has been selected to top the SCIAC once more in the 2026 Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches.

After claiming both the conference trophy and the NCAA West Regional Championship, the Athenas went on to place third as a team at the 2025 Division III NCAA Championship. CMS was led by the All-American duo of Elle Marsyla and Riley Capuano, both of whom finished inside of the top-25 at the NCAA Championship in the individual standings. Though the pair graduated this past off-season, the Athenas will still feature Sadie Drucker, who earned All-American honors last year for her 35th place finish at Nationals. Rising juniors Hope Dragseth, Olivia Backholm, and Brannan Rosenfeld are also lining up for CMS following their 2025 All-SCIAC campaigns.

Pomona-Pitzer, who garnered one first-place vote, is slotted to finish in second place of the conference standings. The Sagehens ended last year's National Championship in 14th place and will be bringing back six of the seven runners who competed in that race. Eva Novy-Lidesley highlights the returning group after earning both First Team All-SCIAC and All-Region honors in 2025. Additionally, Fiona Bodkin, Kendall Madine, Maggie Avery, Megan Walter, and Kate Sherry all claimed a spot on the Second Team All-SCIAC, with Sherry also being named the conference's Newcomer of the Year. 

Third-place Occidental has brought in an incoming first-year class of 10 runners following the graduation of its seven seniors last season. 

Chapman is the only other team bringing back an all-conference performer from last season in Brenda Daza. The rising senior was the Cougars' lone competitor at the National Championship and finished with a time of 22:48.5. 

Notably, the 2026 season will feature Azusa Pacific University as it reclassifies from Division II to Division III, though the Cougars are not eligible for postseason competition. 

2026 Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps - 80 points (eight first-place votes)
Pomona-Pitzer - 73 points (one first-place vote)
Occidental - 63 points
Chapman - 49 points
Caltech - 42 points
California Lutheran - 36 points
Redlands - 34 points
La Verne - 15 points
Whittier - 9 points
Azusa Pacific*
* - Ineligible for SCIAC Championship as school transitions from Division II