NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- The Saints women's cross country team started in their typically cautious style, sitting sixth place as a team after the first mile of the 2026 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Conference Cross Country Championships at St. Olaf College. They improved at every successive time check; they moved to sixth place and a score of 174 points at the mile, and they only got closer to the top three teams as the race went on, finishing fourth with 118 points. 

The Carleton Knights put all five scorers in the top nine to successfully defend their title with a winning score of 25 points.  St. Olaf finished second with 63 points, and Macalester third with 74 points.

Macalester's Ingrid Norquist pulled away early and was never challenged for the individual title,  winning in a time of 21:48.6, capping off her senior season with a third meet win and MIAC title,

Regan Niemi (Bemidji, MN/Bemidji HS) put the Saints conspicuously at the front of the field in a pack of six runners chasing Nordiquist, crossing the line 5th, in a time of 22:34.9, for her 4th straight year of MIAC All-Conference accolades.

Abby Wood (Circle Pines, MN/Centennial HS) finished 13th in 23:13.6, for All-MIAC honors, scoring second for the Saints. Katelyn Torrel (Gilbert, MN/Virginia/Rock Ridge HS) finished 27th in a time of 23:35.4, to score third; Grace McCormick (Duluth, MN/Denfeld HS) finished 34th in 23:58.9; and Sophia Bertonneau (Leadville, CO/Summit HS) rounded out Saints scoring in 53rd with a time of 24:32.5.

In five seasons in the MIAC, the 2026 fourth-place finish ties for second-best and matches their 2023 team finish.

The MIAC Championship Women's All-Conference awardees, Honorable Mentions, Runner of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year, will be announced early next week.

The Saints will take their top seven runners to the NCAA North Regional Meet, back at St. Olaf, November 14th.