NEW HAVEN, Conn. (August 25, 2026) – The 2026 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference cross-country season gets underway the weekend of September 4-5 with most teams in action in various races throughout the region.
The regular season will be a buildup to the 2026 CACC Cross-Country Championships on Sunday, November 8, at Ocean County Park in Lakewood, N.J. The women’s 5,000-meter race will begin at 10 a.m. Thomas Jefferson University was the 2025 team champion, and Ram sophomore Olivia Grahn returns to defend her Runner of the Year crown as last year’s individual winner.
Georgian Court University will serve as host of the CACC Championships, which will be broadcast live on the CACC Network.
Below is a team-by-team preview of the 2026 campaign (submitted by member schools):
BRIDGEPORT – Junior Stephanie Lickteig is UB’s top returner. She placed 16th at last year’s CACC Championship meet and 49th at the NCAA D-II East Regional. The Purple Knights will be led by first-year head coach Alex Petrecca.
CALDWELL – Caldwell returns All-CACC performer Lizbeth Castillo along with fellow sophomore Ashley Mercado, seniors Dayanara Grau and Sarahi Liger and junior Ria Datta. Newcomers to watch are juniors Paula Beltran and Isabel Michel, sophomore Kerima Ibraham, and freshman Jade Camacho.
CHESTNUT HILL – CHC will feature a young group of runners to include three returnees with just one year of experience along with two incoming freshmen. Soleil Casseus is the top returner from 2025. The Griffins open the season on September 4 at Georgian Court’s Jersey Pines Classic, a preview meet for the CACC Championship which the Lions will be hosting this year. Chestnut Hill will compete in seven regular-season meets before the conference championship race on November 8.
DOMINICAN – The Chargers return four runners to their roster in 2026, including Sarai Cruz who finished in 21st place at last year’s CACC Championship. Cruz had two top-five finishes last year. The team placed in the top five in the team standings at three 2025 meets.
FELICIAN – Top returnees for the Golden Falcons include Brianna Harrison, Crystal Margotta, and Kaitlyn Vieira. Harrison was among the top 20 runners at last year’s CACC Championship meet, while Margotta placed 25th and Vieira 28th.
GEORGIAN COURT – GCU finished fifth in the CACC meet in 2025. The Lions return two finishers from last year’s conference meet – All-CACC performer Sophia Mauro (9th) and Nora Sprunger. True freshmen Azucena Martinez-Panesso and Dori O’Halloran are expected to be in the team’s top five. Key losses include Gwendolyn Morris, Brenna Sullivan, Kerry Ann Hohenshilt, and Samantha Lonseth.
GOLDEY-BEACOM – Led by new interim head coach Marquise Berry, GBC opens its season on September 4 at the Delaware Invitational. The Lightning will again get a boost from junior Aiyana Adams. Competing in six races last year, Adams closed 25th at the Golden Ram Invitational and 49th at the CACC Championship. Sophomore Ana Thaler also ran in six races in 2025, finishing 35th at the Herb Lorenz Invitational and 52nd at the CACC meet.
HOLY FAMILY – HFU returns four student-athletes to its 2026 team. The Tigers are coming off a sixth-place finish at the CACC Championship. They open their season on Sept. 4 at the Georgian Court Jersey Pine Barrens Challenge.
JEFFERSON – Legendary coach Dave Thomas has retired from his full-time head coaching role with the defending CACC champion Rams. Thomas will remain involved in the program on a part-time basis during the transition to his successor, Joe Dare, who came from conference rival Goldey-Beacom College. Jefferson emphatically swept the 2025 CACC meet with the top seven finishers. Olivia Grahn was the star of that group, taking home CACC Runner of the Year and Rookie of the Year with a 5K time of 19:23.93. Grahn will look to raise the bar this year and content for All-America status. Of the Rams’ top seven finishers at the CACC Championship, only Annalee Capuano will not be returning. However Jefferson could be a threat to have another historic conference race with talented freshman Hayley Holland from the United Kingdom set to join the mix.
WILMINGTON – Wilmington tied its program record with a second-place finish at the CACC Championship last year, putting three on the All-CACC squad. But only one student-athlete returns from that team. Angie Chomo headlines the Wildcats after a 14th-place finish at the CACC meet and a 78th-place result at the NCAA Division II East Regional Championship. Head coach Keith Jones has revamped the lineup this year, welcoming five new Wildcats who have a chance to compete right away. The team opens on September 4 at the UD Invite in Newark, Del.
Founded in 1961, the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference has been affiliated with NCAA Division II for 21 years. Conference institutions compete for championships in 18 sports – seven for men, 10 for women, and one co-ed. The CACC contains 11 full members in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Membership includes the University of Bridgeport, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Dominican University New York, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Post University, Thomas Jefferson University, and Wilmington University.