NO. ATTLEBORO, Mass.. – The Southern New Hampshire University women's cross country team has been predicted to finish third this season.  The preseason poll, released Tuesday, has the Penmen with 77 points, including one first-place vote by a vote of the Northeast 10 women's cross country coaches.  

Fresh off the first women's cross country championship in school history, Bentley University had been selected to repeat as NE10 champions - in a tie with 2023 champion Southern Connecticut State University. The deadlock at the top of the women's poll saw each Bentley and SCSU receive 81 total points.  SNHU finished with 77 points and one first-place vote.  Saint Anselm College (70), Saint Michael's College (55), and Adelphi University (49) were next.   Franklin Pierce University (44), Assumption University (33), Pace University (26), and American International College (22) complete the rankings of the league's ten programs.

New Head Cross Country Coach Kelly Vincent and Director of Track/Cross Country Lex Butler have a roster of nine runners, including three newcomers.  Key returners this fall are senior Corrina Obernesser (Westminster, Colo.), who qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championship last fall and is a two-time All-Region runner.  Junior Deirdre Bailat (No. Billerica, Mass.), sophomore Paige McInerney (Acton, Mass.), and sophomore Erika Wojcik (North Andover, Mass.) joined Obernesser last year as Northeast 10 All-Conference.

The Penmen will open the 2025 season at the Shacklette Invitational at Saint Anselm on Saturday, September 6 (10:00 a.m.) and the NE10 Cross Country Championships are also scheduled to be held at Saint Anselm on November 10.  

For the latest on Southern New Hampshire University athletics, follow the Penmen on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also sign up for text alerts and email newsletters to stay connected with your favorite SNHU teams.