HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's cross country team has been picked to finish sixth in the Centennial Conference in 2026, according to the conference's preseason poll released Thursday morning.

Defending conference champion Johns Hopkins claimed the top spot with 81 points and all nine first-place votes. Swarthmore was selected second with 67 points and one first-place vote, followed by Gettysburg (63 points), Dickinson (57), Franklin & Marshall (49), and Haverford (48). Ursinus (29 points), Muhlenberg (27), Bryn Mawr (15), and McDaniel (14) completed the preseason poll.

The Fords will be led by senior Alice Sappenfield, a two-time USTFCCCA All-Metro Region selection who has been one of the Centennial Conference's top performers throughout her career. Sappenfield earned All-Metro Region honors in both 2023 and 2024 while also being named the Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year in her debut season.

Sappenfield posted career-best performances across each of her primary distances during the 2025 campaign, recording a 19:07.0 in the three-mile race at the Haverford Alumni Race, a 19:27.3 over 5,000 meters at the Main Line Invitational, and a 22:45.6 in the 6,000-meter distance at the Interregional Border Battle.

Haverford opens the 2026 season by hosting the annual Alumni/Open Race on Saturday, September 5, at 4:45 p.m. at the Fran Rizzo Cross Country Course. The Fords return to campus for the Main Line Invitational on Friday, September 18, with that race also beginning at 4:45 p.m.

The 2026 Centennial Conference Championship will be contested at the Fran Rizzo Cross Country Course on Haverford's campus on Saturday, October 31, giving the Scarlet and Black an opportunity to compete for a conference title on their home course.

Fans are encouraged to keep up with HaverfordAthletics.com and follow @HCFords_Sports on X for the latest schedule updates and competition news.