RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - After finishing third at last year's Great American Conference women's cross country championships, head coach Steve Sawyer's East Central Tigers are picked to win the 2026 title in the GAC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 114 total points and six first-place votes.
Oklahoma Baptist and Ouachita Baptist came in at a tie for second with 107 points each, while the Bison garnered two first-place nods compared to Ouachita's three. Harding tallied the final first-place vote, picking up 94 total points for fourth place.
2025 champion Arkansas Tech (76) filled out the top five, while Southeastern Oklahoma State (68), Northwestern Oklahoma State (66), Southern Arkansas (51), Henderson State (34), Southern Nazarene (32), Southwestern Oklahoma State (32) and Arkansas-Monticello (11) finished up the balloting.
East Central returns 2025 individual conference champion Winnie Kipsang with a 5k time of 17:31.91 - a near four seconds ahead of second place. The Tigers also retain last year's third-place runner in Sheilah Bii while bringing in junior transfer Joyce Kemboi from Texas A&M, where she earned third-team All-SEC honors as a sophomore in 2025.
Oklahoma Baptist finished fourth at conference last year, with four girls placing 11th-16th, all of whom are returning. Spearheading head coach Brian Whitlock's veteran squad is 2025's top performer Shayna Hendrix with an 11th-place, 18:24.48 run.
Ouachita Baptist finished second at last year's conference meet as head coach Steve Guymon will look to replace his top three runners. Tigers who placed 18th-21st all return, however, led by junior Lucy Holden with a 18:36.21 time for 18th place.
Harding head coach Don Hood will look to returners Addison Lyles (18:42.35, 23rd) and Dinah Winders to replace his top two runners from last year in Vivien Kipkorir (17:35.39, 2nd) and Josie Parks (18:03.70, 8th). The Lady Bisons placed fifth as a team last year.
Defending champion Arkansas Tech brings in first-year head coach Mary Davis after five of ATU's top seven from last year's conference meet are no longer with the Golden Suns. Leading Davis' 2026 squad will be returners Peyton Carson (18:25.50, 13th) and Sophia Goerlich (18.51.84, 30th).
Other notable key returners:
-Southeastern Oklahoma State: Anahi Machuca (18:53.19, 31st)
-Northwestern Oklahoma State: Ivy Washington (18:59.20, 34th)
-Southern Arkansas: Rylee Robinson (18:55.22, 32nd)
-Henderson State: Jaide Tatum (20:29.72, 96th)
-Southern Nazarene: Kaylee Eberhart (24:17.12, 150th)
-Southwestern Oklahoma State: Emily Nelson (20:36.41, 102nd)
-Arkansas-Monticello: Lainey Tippen (27:46.79, 158th)
All 12 programs will compete at the 2026 GAC Cross Country Championships hosted by Northwestern Oklahoma State in Enid, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 7
2026 GAC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
| Rank |
School |
Total Points |
1st-Place Votes |
| 1 |
East Central |
114 |
6 |
| t2 |
Oklahoma Baptist |
107 |
2 |
| t2 |
Ouachita Baptist |
107 |
3 |
| 4 |
Harding |
94 |
1 |
| 5 |
Arkansas Tech |
76 |
|
| 6 |
Southeastern Oklahoma State |
68 |
|
| 7 |
Northwestern Oklahoma State |
66 |
|
| 8 |
Southern Arkansas |
51 |
|
| 9 |
Henderson State |
34 |
|
| t10 |
Southern Nazarene |
32 |
|
| t10 |
Southwestern Oklahoma State |
32 |
|
| 12 |
Arkansas-Monticello |
11 |
|