BRIGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has announced the results of its 2026 Cross Country Coaches' Poll. The Trine University women's cross country team was selected third in the poll.
 
The defending MIAA Champion Thunder earned 51 points and one first place vote. Hope College owns the top spot in the poll with 60 points and five first-place votes. Calvin University claimed the other three nods to the top spot with 58 points. Kalamazoo College and Saint Mary's College rounded out the top five.
 
The Thunder open the season at Manchester University on September 4 with a 5k race. Trine's first race at the full 6k distance will take place the following week at the Michigan State Spartan Invitational. The Thunder will look to follow up a stellar performance from a year ago at the Live in Lou Cross Country Classic on October 3. October 17 sees Trine travel to either Oberlin College or Augustana College (Ill.) for interregional action. The MIAA Championships are set for October 31. The NCAA Regional Championships are scheduled for November 14.
 
Trine returns Grace Dubsky, Courtney Study, and Halle Overmire for last year's top 7 that set a bevy of program firsts and records. Dubsky and Study each claimed All-Region honors. Study was named to the All-MIAA first team and Dubsky the second team. Hannah Geaney returns as well and was the Thunder's alternate for their trip to the NCAA Championships from a year ago. Trine also boasts a strong freshman class highlighted by Hailey Sills and Lucinda Kriofske Mainell.
 
Trine opens the season at Manchester on September 4.