Marlborough, Mass. - September 2, 2026 - The 2026 women’s cross country season gets underway in just two days for our student-athletes in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). Here are ten runners to keep an eye on as the season progresses ultimately leading into the NEWMAC Championship meet on October 31.
1. Abby Wozniak - Wheaton
Junior - Blackstone, Massachusetts
Abby Wozniak returns to Wheaton after a strong sophomore season that saw her place 26th at the NEWMAC Championships and 49th at the NCAA Regional Championships. Wozniak was the second fastest finisher for the Lyons at regionals and helped the team to 14th place overall. Wozniak and the Lyons finished sixth with 197 at the NEWMAC Championships a season ago.
2. Jessica Meza - MIT
Senior - Columbus, Indiana
Jessica Meza enters her senior season at MIT after guiding the Engineers to their 18th straight NEWMAC title and to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Regional Championships. Meza was an All-Conference performer taking ninth at NEWMAC’s and an All-Region honoree by crossing the line 18th at the regional championships.
3. Lucy Kreipke - Smith
Senior - Princeton, New Jersey
Lucy Kreipke will look to build on a junior season that saw her qualify individually for the NCAA Division III National Championship meet in 2025. She was an All-Conference runner taking 13th at the NEWMAC Championships and then was Smith’s top finisher at the NCAA Regional Championships ultimately leading the Bears to an 11th place finish as a team.
4. Anita Konopka - Mount Holyoke
Senior - Rolling Meadows, Illinois
Anika Konopka will lead Mount Holyoke in 2026 after placing tenth at the NEWMAC Championships and 18th at the NCAA Regional Championships. Konopka individually clocked a 71st place finish as Mount Holyoke’s top returning finisher in 2026.
5. Avery Lieb - Wellesley
Sophomore - Ojai, California
Avery Lieb had a great rookie campaign finishing inside the top-40 at the NEWMAC Championships. The Blue registered a third place finish at the conference meet - marking the program’s best finish since 2021 - and a seventh place finish at the NCAA Regional Championships. In her regional debut, Lieb placed 73rd overall and will look to build on that performance this fall.
6. Anna Weygang - Salve Regina
Senior - Farmington, Connecticut
Anna Weygang will lead Salve Regina women’s cross country this fall after a strong junior season that saw her take 12th overall and All-Conference accolades at the 2025 NEWMAC Championships. She was also a the second fastest finisher for Salve Regina (33rd) at the NCAA Regional Championships ultimately leading the Seahawks to a 16th place finish as a team at the meet.
7. Kristina Kyle - Springfield
Graduate Student - Watertown, Connecticut
In her first season running cross country, Kristina Kyle was named as the NEWMAC’s Rookie of the Year in 2025. She ran to a 14th place finish and All-Conference honors at the NEWMAC Championships and was Springfield’s top finisher at the NCAA Regional Championships (51st). Kyle led the Pride to a 13th place finish as a team at regionals after one of the program’s best seasons in recent history.
8. Sophia Draxler - Babson
Junior - Chester, New Jersey
Sophia Draxler returns to Babson for her junior campaign in 2026 after a strong sophomore season a year ago. Draxler placed 34th overall at the NEWMAC Championships and was Babson’s top finisher at the NCAA Regional Championships. As a team, Draxler and the Beavers placed 17th overall at the regional meet.
9. Brooke Hunter - Coast Guard
Junior - Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Brooke Hunter was a All-Conference honoree in 2025 as she placed 19th overall at the NEWMAC Championships as a sophomore. Hunter was a big part of the Bears team that ultimately placed sixth overall at the NCAA Regional Championships as she crossed the line 39th overall at the biggest meet of the year for Coast Guard.
10. Ava Hartman - MIT
Junior - New Orleans, Louisiana
Ava Hartman is one of the lone runners who made an appearance at the 2025 NCAA Division III National Championship meet and is returning to MIT this fall. She helped the Engineers to their 18th straight NEWMAC Championship, to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Regional Championships and to fifth place overall at the NCAA Division III National Championships. Hartman will look to claim her first All-America accolade in 2026 after claiming back-to-back All-Region nods.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 13 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Saint Anselm College (beginning reclassification process with NCAA in 2027-28), 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 seven Associate Members: New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 21 sports.