GRINNELL, Iowa – Having won two of the last three Midwest Conference team titles, the Grinnell College women's cross country squad is seeking to extend that success in 2026.
 
Both Lizzie Drew '29 and Arushi Kharbanda '29 were All-Region honorees last fall, as well as All-MWC picks. Drew, the MWC Newcomer of the Year, has the seventh-best time in GC history and Kharbanda the 10^th-best clocking.
 
"Arushi and Lizzie were consistently in our top seven group last year and will be joined by very experienced runners in Emma Wharton-Hsieh '27 and Hannah Roth '27," said Grinnell coach Sarah Burnell. "Cindy Wang '28 is back and may be our top runner this year, Beatrice Ebel '28 is in good shape and Noelle Vu '28 and Ella McEntee '29 will be big parts of the equation for us."
 
As for newcomers, Burnell noted, "Alex Machemer '30 will be a solid performer for us and Juliet Outka '30 has been right in the mix so far."
 
It should be an interesting season, said the coach. "Our women would like to defend their conference championship," said Burnell. "This group is fun because we have experienced runners, but many haven't had the opportunity to exist among the top seven space. There are some question marks about how we get to our goals, but the potential is there.
 
"We'll be looking for a top 10 finish in the region," she added. "It would be great if could meet or exceed what we did last year."