KUTZTOWN, Pa.- The Kutztown University women's cross country team came in ranked seventh out of 18 teams in the 2022 Pennsylvania Athletic Conference preseason poll, released Tuesday afternoon. It's the highest preseason ranking for the program since the 2019 season.

The Golden Bears come into the season after finishing 10th in the 2021 NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships. The team returns some of its top talent, including All-PSAC First Team and All-Region runner, sophomore Erika Moriarty (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown). The trio of senior Mya Ostermiller (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South) and juniors Jaelyn D'Amelio (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) and Anastasia Fratanduono (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) captain the squad entering the 2022 season.

Edinboro was the near unanimous top team in the poll, receiving 17 first-place votes. The Fighting Scots have won four of the last five PSAC championships, including the last three. Seton Hill was the only other team to receive a first place vote, coming in at second in the polls. Slippery Rock, Lock Haven, Bloomsburg, and California (Pa.) were the only other teams ahead of KU in the poll. 

Head coach Ray Hoffman enters his 25th season at the helm of the Golden Bear's program as the team opens the season on September 3 at the Salisbury Invitational in Salisbury, Md.

The team's first home meet will be the DII/DIII Challenge on Friday, September 16 at 5:45 p.m.


WOMEN
(# of First-Place Votes)
1. Edinboro (17)
2. Seton Hill (1)
3. Slippery Rock
4. Lock Haven
5. Bloomsburg
6. California (Pa.)
7. KUTZTOWN
8. Shippensburg 
9. Clarion
10. Gannon
11. Millersville
12. West Chester
13. IUP
14. Mansfield
15. East Stroudsburg
16. Pitt-Johnstown
17. Mercyhurst
18. Shepherd