TURLOCK, Calif.--- Stan State women's cross country is projected to finish second in the 2026 CCAA Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll.

The Warriors received 153 points and one first-place vote in the preseason voting. Chico State was projected to finish first with 168 points and 12 first-place votes, while Cal Poly Pomona was third with 142 points and Cal State San Marcos fourth with 124 points.

Stan State is coming off a runner-up finish at the 2025 CCAA Championships, where the Warriors scored 39 points. Annie Wild led Stan State as the Warriors had five runners earn All-CCAA First Team honors.

The Warriors followed their CCAA runner-up finish by placing fifth out of 28 teams at the NCAA Division II West Regional in Monmouth, Ore., earning a berth in the NCAA Division II National Championships. Stan State finished 12th out of 34 teams at the national championships in Kenosha, Wis., and concluded the season ranked No. 12 nationally in the final USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Coaches' Poll.

Stan State returns several runners from its 2025 NCAA Division II Championship team, led by seniors Annie Wild and Nina Furtado. Wild earned All-America honors with a 24th-place finish at last year's NCAA Championships and earned All-West Region and All-CCAA First Team honors. Furtado also earned All-CCAA First Team honors in 2025. Sophomore Izzy Soto, another All-CCAA First Team honoree last season, returns for the Warriors.

The returning group also includes seniors Gianna Bomarito and Risa Reynier; juniors Makenzie Kordic and Aubrey Lascano; and sophomores Roseli Diaz, Stevie Holguin, Megan Silva and Aubrey Webb.
The Warriors welcome freshmen Natalie Arriaza (Patterson/Patterson HS), Sophie Benham (Modesto/Hughson HS), Elizabeth Christopher (Turlock/Turlock HS) and Demiree Dean (Tuolumne/Sonora HS). Sophomore Kekaihulali Halpern (Hilo, Hawaii/Hilo HS) joins Stan State after attending Saint Martin's University.

Stan State opens the 2026 season Friday, Sept. 4  at the USF Invite. The Warriors will host the Kim Duyst Twilight on Saturday, Sept. 12, at River Oaks Golf Course in Ceres, with the women's 6K scheduled for 9 p.m.

The Warriors return to San Francisco on Friday, Oct. 9, for the SF State Invite at Speedway Meadows before beginning postseason competition Saturday, Nov. 7, at the CCAA Cross Country Championships in San Bernardino.

The NCAA Division II West Regional will be held Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Arcade Creek Cross Country Course in Sacramento. The NCAA Division II National Championship is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kan.

2026 CCAA WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

1. Chico State (12) – 168 points
2. Stan State (1) – 153
3. Cal Poly Pomona – 142
4. Cal State San Marcos – 124
5. Fresno Pacific – 97
6. Cal State Monterey Bay – 92
7. Cal State East Bay – 91
8. Cal Poly Humboldt – 89
9. Cal State San Bernardino – 76
10. San Francisco State – 58
11. UC Merced – 46
12. Cal State Los Angeles – 31
13. Cal State Dominguez Hills – 16

(First place votes)