GRANTHAM, Pa. – With the 2026 women's cross country season set to begin on Friday, Sep. 4, check out the season preview below.

Roster Outlook

After a third-place finish at the 2025 MAC Championships, the Falcons will look to contend strongly this season with a mixed team of returners and fresh faces. The Falcons return all seven of their scorers from the MAC Championships and return 10 of their 12 runners. The trio of Delaney Turk, Ella Swayne, and Madison Kimmel often found themselves in the top three slots for the Falcons and will look to continue their strong performances this season. Upperclassmen Samantha Mynio and Elana Pineda also return as frequent scorers for Messiah alongside Sophomores Emmie Battersby and Kenzee Wiker. Messiah welcomes eight new Falcons to the roster this fall.

Schedule Preview

The Falcons will begin their season on Friday, Sept. 4 at 8:35 p.m. at the Piper XC Challenge at Shippensburg University. Messiah will then take a week off competition before returning to the course for the MAC Championship Preview at Stevenson University with a 4:15 p.m. start time on Friday, Sept. 18. The Falcons then travel to Lock Haven University for a 10:45 a.m. start time on Saturday, Sept. 26. The annual Paul Short Invite at Lehigh University will be on Friday, Oct. 2 with a slated start time of 1:15 p.m. for the first race. Messiah will conclude the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 17 before returning to Owings Mills, Md. for the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31.