Saint Mary’s Women’s Cross Country Chases First WCC Title Since 1990

The Saint Mary’s College women's cross country team will compete on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026 for its first West Coast Conference (WCC) championship since 1990, entering the conference meet on a streak of 5 consecutive top-10 team finishes, according to a Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026 report by Angela Woodall for Patch Lamorinda.

Race Schedule and Course Layout at Mission Bay Park

The women's 6k championship race begins at 10 a.m. Friday at Tecolote Shores North in Mission Bay Park in San Diego, with both the women's and men's races streaming live on ESPN+. Friday's championship course features a wide, grassy 2-kilometer loop followed by a 110-meter final straightaway.

At last season's conference meet, the Gaels finished 7th among 12 teams, paced by Courtney Fitzgibbon, who placed 43rd overall in 22:09.3.

Bronco Invitational Momentum and Conference Championship Lineup

Saint Mary's enters Friday's race after placing 10th among 23 teams at the Bronco Invitational on Oct. 17, 2026—the program's 5th consecutive top-10 finish this fall:

• First-year runner Audrey O’Connor paced the Gaels in her collegiate 6k debut, placing 46th overall with a time of 21:37.4 and finishing among Saint Mary's top 5 scorers in each of her first 4 collegiate meets.
• Sophomore Courtney Fitzgibbon finished second on the team in 21:41.9 (her fastest 6k mark since last season's UCR Invite), followed by sophomore Maya Crimin in 21:56.4.
• Junior Jane Harig clocked a personal-best 21:59.5, while senior Eleanor Jepsen rounded out the top 5 in 22:08.2.

Graduate student Kaylee Barnes also joins the conference lineup holding the Saint Mary's program WCC meet record after running 20:30.8 at the 2024 WCC Championships. Joining Barnes, O’Connor, Fitzgibbon, Crimin, Harig, and Jepsen on the championship roster are seniors Julia-Anna Lily Bell and Jane Carney, along with sophomores Zoe Leach and Ava Luczkow.