BURNSVILLE, Minn. — The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference released the 2026 Women's Cross Country preseason coaches' poll on Wednesday morning. Concordia-St. Paul was picked to finish 16th in the preseason poll.
CSP received a total of 29 points in the poll, coming in two points behind 15th place St. Cloud State with 31 points. The Golden Bears finished in 15th place at the NSIC Championships for the second consecutive season. Heading into 2026 CSP will look to build off last season's finish with a mix of newcomers and returners.
"Our women's team starts this season with a strong sense of unity and shared purpose," Head Coach Jonathan Breitbarth said. "We have built a supportive environment where athletes truly support each other, creating a team culture that feels like a family. Our path to success is clear: we will thrive by running together as a close, united group."
The Golden Bears will feature a group of three returners and three newcomers this season with sophomore Kayla Anderson earning the nod as the Athlete to Watch heading into the season. Anderson managed a 79th place finish at the NSIC Championships last season coming in with a time of 24.49.30 and recording the best individual finish by a CSP women's runner at the event since 2019.
The sophomore capped the season by setting a new personal best 6k time of 23:23.7 at the NCAA Central Region Championships, good for 188th place and a 44th place finish among NSIC competitors at the event.
"Kayla is a dedicated leader who brings positive energy to our women's team everyday," Breitbarth said. "Her strong work ethic goes hand in hand with her selflessness. She has earned her teammates respect by being consistent, humble and always doing the small things right. Kayla leads by example and younger athletes naturally look to her for guidance and encouragement. Her toughness, experience and team-first attitude makes her an athlete to watch this season."
Defending conference champion Winona State finished first in the poll with a total of 219 points and 11 first place votes. Minnesota State came in second with a total of 202 points and one first place vote, Augustana received 201 points and three first place votes to finish third in the poll.
The NSIC Championships are set to take place Saturday, November 7 at Yankton Trails in Sioux Falls, South Dakota hosted by Augustana. The NCAA Central Region Championships will take place Saturday, November 21 at the Tom Rutledge Country Club in Joplin, Missouri.
The Golden Bears open the 2026 season on Friday, September 4 at the Augie Twilight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
