Photo by: Ryan Barnett / SMC Athletics
WXC | Gaels Pick Up a First Place Vote, Tabbed to Finish Fourth in Preseason WCC Cross Country Poll
8/27/2026 11:01:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
SAN BRUNO, Calif. — With the departures of Gonzaga, Oregon State and Washington State from the West Coast Conference, the cross country landscape looks a bit different in the WCC. The preseason coaches poll for the conference projects an extremely tight race, with three teams splitting the nine first place votes, with the Gaels collecting one of those, and pegged to finish fourth in the now nine team conference. Here's a look at the entire preseason poll:
2026 West Coast Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (first-place votes) points
1. Portland (3) 59
2. San Francisco (5) 58
3. Santa Clara 49
4. Saint Mary's (1) 46
5. San Diego 30
6. LMU 26
7. Pepperdine 25
8. Pacific 19
9. Seattle U 12
The Gaels finished in seventh place in the then 12 team conference, with the three departing schools placing in the top three spots. Saint Mary's returns an experienced crew of runners, with all ten of their competitors from last year's WCC Championship back in 2026. The group should be led by sophomores Courtney Fitzgibbon and Zoe Leach, who paced the Gaels for a majority of races last season, and now have a full year of collegiate experience under their belts.
The 2026 cross country season will kick off for the Gaels on September 3 and 4, with the Gaels sending a split squad to either the UCSB Gaucho Invitational on the third, or the USF Invitational on the fourth.
#GaelsRise
2026 West Coast Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (first-place votes) points
1. Portland (3) 59
2. San Francisco (5) 58
3. Santa Clara 49
4. Saint Mary's (1) 46
5. San Diego 30
6. LMU 26
7. Pepperdine 25
8. Pacific 19
9. Seattle U 12
The Gaels finished in seventh place in the then 12 team conference, with the three departing schools placing in the top three spots. Saint Mary's returns an experienced crew of runners, with all ten of their competitors from last year's WCC Championship back in 2026. The group should be led by sophomores Courtney Fitzgibbon and Zoe Leach, who paced the Gaels for a majority of races last season, and now have a full year of collegiate experience under their belts.
The 2026 cross country season will kick off for the Gaels on September 3 and 4, with the Gaels sending a split squad to either the UCSB Gaucho Invitational on the third, or the USF Invitational on the fourth.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
Sunday, August 23
Sunday, August 23
Thursday, August 20
Thursday, August 20
