LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – As voted on by the league’s coaches, the Lock Haven University women’s cross country team was selected No. 1 in the 2023 PSAC Women’s Cross Country Preseason Poll. The Bald Eagles received nine first-place votes and return a trio of First Team All-PSAC top 10 finishers from last year’s PSAC Championship Meet—Gwen Lloyd (eighth), PSAC Freshman of the Year Krista Jones (ninth), and Elaina Klinger (10^th)—as the team finished in third place in the team standings at that meet.
 
Slippery Rock was selected as the No. 2 team and received a single first-place vote. The Rock finished fourth as a team at the 2022 PSAC Championships and returns five student-athletes that finished in the top 50 at that meet, including Anna Igims (19^th) and Katie Plassio (26^th.)
 
Edinboro, which has claimed the last four PSAC women’s cross country titles, received four first-place votes and was voted the No. 3 team in this year’s poll. The Fighting Scots feature a new head coach in Jamison Dietrich and had five runners finish in the top 35 at last year’s PSAC meet, including race winner and PSAC Athlete of the Year Kylie Anicic.
 
The No. 4 team in this year’s poll is the Bloomsburg Huskies, receiving a single first-place vote. Returners include Kelley Selheimer (a team-best 18^th place at last year’s PSAC Championships), along with Alyssa Keeley, Jaime Diedel, and Amanda Kelly, who were all top-75 finishers.
 
California (Pa.) enters 2023 with high hopes and was voted No. 5 in the Preseason Poll. Vulcan  returners include Malia Anderson (the sixth-place finisher at last year’s PSAC meet), Makaila Wade (37^th), and Macayle Wade (who logged a 56^th place finish at the 2021 meet.) California finished sixth in the team standings at the 2022 PSAC meet and looks to break into the top five this season.
 
Rounding out the top 10 teams in the 2023 Women’s Cross Country Preseason Poll is Kutztown, Seton Hill, Shippensburg, Clarion, and Gannon.
 
The remaining eight teams and their preseason rankings can be found below. The women’s cross country schedule gets in full gear on Friday, September 1, with many of the PSAC teams competing through the weekend.
 
2023 PSAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll (# of first-place votes)
 
1. Lock Haven (9)
2. Slippery Rock (1)
3. Edinboro (4)
4. Bloomsburg (1)
5. California (Pa.)
6. Kutztown
7. Seton Hill (2)
8. Shippensburg (1)
9. Clarion
10. Gannon
11. East Stroudsburg
12. Millersville
13. West Chester
14. IUP
15. Mansfield
16. Pitt-Johnstown
17. Mercyhurst
18. Shepherd