Westwood, MASS.- MIT lands in the top spot in the 2023 NEWMAC Women’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll, collecting 11 first-place votes. MIT enters the 2023 season following the program’s 15th straight NEWMAC Championship, its seventh overall NCAA East Regional Championship and a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Division III National Championship.
Olivia Rosenstein returns after earning her second straight All-American honor in 2022, while
Gillian Roeder captured NEWMAC Athlete of the Year accolades and is one of six returning All-Region honorees. Overall, the Engineers returns six NEWMAC All-Conference runners, including 2022 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year
Katherine Sanderson. MIT will again be under the direction of second-year head coach
Riley Macon.
Landing in the second slot was WPI, who claimed the final first-place vote. The Engineers are led by head coach
Brian Chabot and will return five of their top seven runners from the NEWMAC Championship. Among the returners is
Caitlin Guilfoyle, who earned her first All-Conference accolade in 2022.
The third spot goes to Smith College, who finished second in the NEWMAC Championship in 2022. The Pioneers will be led by
Pria Parker who earned All-Conference and All-Region honors last season. Head coach
Ellen O'Neil and her staff were named the NEWMAC Coaching Staff of the Year in 2022.
Coming in at the four spot is Coast Guard, who finished third in the 2022 NEWMAC Championship. The Bears, coached by
Ethan Brown, will return several key contributors from a season ago, including
Claire Semerod, who earned All-Region honors a year ago.
Wellesley College was voted in at the fifth spot, and will be led by veteran head coach
Phil Jennings. The Blue finished fifth at the 2022 NEWMAC Championships and are returning five of last year's top seven, headlined by
Ella Whinney, who was a 2022 All-East Region Team honoree.
Springfield College has nabbed the sixth spot. The Pride, led by head coach
Anna Steinman, will see All-Mideast Region performer
Kate Bonanno return for 2023.
Wheaton College, coached by
Alexander Evans, is coming off an eighth-place finish at the 2022 NEWMAC Championship. Among the Lyon returners is
Jaz Vanderhoof, who finished 43rd at the NEWMAC Championship.
Mount Holyoke College enters the poll ranked eighth. The Lyons will be led by head coach
Jennifer Hartshorn, are coming off a sixth place finish in the NEWMAC Championship.
Babson College, coached by
Russ Brennen, lands in the ninth spot, after finishing ninth in the 2022 NEWMAC Championship. Among the Beaver returners is
Chloe Clifford, who was Babson's top finisher in the NEWMAC Championship race, placing 46
th.
Clark University was voted into the tenth spot as they enter their second season of the
Emily Mauro era, and will be led by junior
Ruby Krasnow. Krasnow was an All-NEWMAC Performer after placing fifth overall at the NEWMAC Championships and also earned a spot on the All-Region Team with an eighth-place finish.
NEWMAC newcomer Salve Regina University and Emerson College round out the poll in eleventh and twelfth place, respectively.
The NEWMAC Cross Country Championship will take place on Saturday, October 28.
2023 NEWMAC Women’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
1. MIT (11)
2. WPI (1)
3. Smith
4. Coast Guard
5. Wellesley
6. Springfield
7. Wheaton
8. Mount Holyoke
9. Babson
10. Clark
11. Salve
12. Emerson
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime (Football) and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.