KANSAS CITY, Mo. – We are heading to the final stretch of the 2026 NAIA Women’s Cross Country season as three weeks remain. The top teams and individuals are making their final preparations for conference championships and a possible spot in the NAIA Championship Meet.
There was not much movement in the top five in the latest ratings released last week. Let’s look at who is on top of the list.
The Defenders strengthened their hold on the top spot with 18 first-place votes after a first-place finish at the Holiday Inn Express Classic. Dordt had the top three runners in the event, as Joy Koole won the race over the 6k course in a time of 21:51.0, while Addy Liston placed second with a mark of 21:53.0, with Bailey VanderGriend earning the third spot with a time of 22:17.0.
The Yotes remained in the second spot with the other two first-place votes after an eighth-place finish at the LC State Invitational. Anna Gilbert paced the Yotes’ efforts with a 31st place finish in a time of 18:28.0 on the 5k course, while Andie Roy was the next Yote to cross the finish line in 56th place with a mark of 19:14.0. Lucy Johnson rounded out the top three for College of Idaho with a 66th place finish in a time of 19:38.0.
The Buffaloes maintained their third position in the ratings after a fifth-place finish at the Royals Cross Country Challenge. Joanna Halterman continued to have a strong season as she placed 16th with a personal best time of 17:48.3 over the 5k course, while Anna Gisler earned 31st place with a personal-best mark of 18:12.7. Kaylee Coll also set a personal best with a time of 18:26.0, which was good for a 41st place finish.
The Golden Eagles held on to the fourth spot in the rating after a fourth-place finish at the Lucian Rosa Invite. Jacie Remtema led the Cornerstone efforts with a 10th place finish in a time of 22:52.5 over the 6k course, while Adelin Patterson grabbed the 15th position with a mark of 23:13.8. Aliz Puszti rounded out the top three for the Golden Eagles with a 21st place finish in a time of 23:30.6.
The Fighting Saints moved up a spot to fifth after claiming the team title at the Wartburg Dan Huston Invitational. Carmen Solis won the event to lead the Fighting Saints with a time of 22:14.4 on the 6k course. Evita Martinez finished right behind her teammate in second place with a mark of 22:15.2, while Savannah Richmond earned sixth place with a time of 22:48.0.
As the runners are prepping for conference championships and the national championship meet, the top times are getting closely bunched together at the top of the lists. Let’s take a look at those top marks in the country.
Sophia Noriega of Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) holds the NAIA best time with a mark of 20:20.0. Alauna Carstens of The Evergreen State (Wash.) holds the third-fastest time in the country with a mark of 20:38.5 at the George Oja Invitational, with Serenity Larson from Saint Mary (Kan.) holding the fourth spot with a mark of 20:44.6.
Carstens is also in the top group at this distance, with an NAIA best time of 17:08.3 at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational. Kylee Quinton of College of Idaho has the second-best mark with a time of 17:25.6 at the same meet, while Grace Steinmetz of Bellevue (Neb.) maintains the third spot on the list with a mark of 17:34.7 at the Augustana Twilight Meet.
College of Idaho holds the top three times over the 4k course, with Kylee Quinton having the top mark with a time of 13:53.0 at the Linfield Harrier Classic. Teammate Talia Bonville has the second-fastest mark with a time of 14:19.1, while Paiten Braseth is third on the list with a mark of 14:28.6.
The final tune-ups before the conference championships are on tap this coming weekend, with many of the top teams and individuals in action.
One of the meets to keep an eye on will be the DU Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic in Ashland, Neb., where many of the top teams in the Midwest will take part at Mahoney State Park.
Another meet to watch for is the NAIA Appalachian Challenge in Knoxville, Tenn., with many of the top programs in the Mid-South competing.
The final meet to watch will be the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge in Grand Rapids, Mich., as more of the country’s top performers will take part.
Next ratings coming September 29
Next runner of the week coming on October 28
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA | #TheRightWayToPlay
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