Haverford, PA – The La Salle University men's and women's cross country teams will open their 2026 seasons on Friday afternoon, racing in the Main Line Invite at Haverford College. The meet will start at 4:30 p.m.
The men's and women's teams, who were picked to finish second and fifth in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll, respectively, are hoping to build off last year's top-five finishes in the conference championship meet. Both squads earned fifth last year in the conference championship with the men' earning a final score of 138 points, and the women earning a final score of 153 points.
Familiar Faces
Senior Gwenno Goode returns to the women's team after earning bronze in the A10 individual cross country championship and earning All-Academic Honors last year, in addition to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA National Championship. She also won the A10 Conference Championships Individual title in 2024. Junior Gillian Lovett and graduate student Lexy Rivard join Goode, after qualifying for the NCAA Regional meet last season. For the men, Jacob Gardner returns for his second season in collegiate cross country. Gardner earned A10 Rookie of the Week last season. In addition, he and teammates senior Malthe Bogebjerg and junior Dylan Stoneman qualified for the NCAA Regional meet last season.
New Explorers
La Salle adds a talented freshman class in 2026, featuring six freshmen on the men's team, and three freshmen on the women's team. Juniors Oisin Lynch and Finn Russell join the men's team, transferring from Adams State University and the University of Missouri, respectively. Sophomore Niamh Partridge joins the women's side from the University of Tulsa.
The Schedule
The Explorers' 2026 schedule consists of eight meets. After the Main Line Invite, the teams compete in the Meadows Challenge on Saturday, September 26. After a trio of meets in October, the teams compete in the Atlantic 10 Championships on Saturday, October 31 before competing in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals on Friday, November 13. The season concludes with the NCAA Championship meet on Saturday, November 21.
