KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The 2026 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Women's Cross Country Championships are set to take place this Saturday, Nov. 7, in Bloomsburg, Pa. The Golden Bears will compete in the women's 6K race at 11 a.m. 

Last season, Kutztown finished fifth as a team at the PSAC Championships, hosted by Edinboro University at the Doug Watts Cross Country Course. Senior Maura Lenhart (Center Valley, Pa./Southern Lehigh) led the Golden Bears with a 10th-place finish, securing her first career top-10 finish at the conference championship. Gabby Keith (Reading, Pa./Exeter) (Reading, Pa./Exeter) also earned All-PSAC Second Team honors with a 24th-place finish.

The Maroon and Gold return a strong group of experienced runners heading into this year's championship, led by Lenhart, who has continued to deliver impressive performances throughout her senior campaign. At the annual Kutztown DII/DIII Challenge on Sept. 12, Lenhart claimed first place overall in a time of 22:23.8, leading the Golden Bears to a first-place team finish. Olivia Solomon (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) and Gabby Keith (Reading, Pa./Exeter) followed with fourth- and fifth-place finishes, respectively, while Faith Belote (Easton, Pa./Easton) placed seventh and Lizzie Brown (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan) finished ninth.

Kutztown's competing runners feature a mix of returning contributors and newcomers, including Lenhart, Soloman, Belote, Brown, Gabby Keith (Reading, Pa./Exeter), Nina Castellano (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J./Hasbrouck Heights), Katherine Colon, Sage Dunkleberger (Watsontown, Pa./Warrior Run), Carly Keith (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin), Maya McDonnell (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South), Emma Newton (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown), Allie Pavone (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown), Aubrey Ressler (New Holland, Pa./Pequea Valley), and Kadia Stover (Hershey, Pa./Hershey).

The Golden Bears were selected sixth in the 2026 PSAC preseason poll and have continued to build momentum throughout the regular season. Kutztown most recently competed at the Go-Fast River Run on Oct. 24, finishing sixth out of 25 teams with 205 points. 

Head coach Ray Hoffman's squad will look to carry its regular-season success into the postseason as it competes for a strong finish at the conference championship. Following Saturday's race, the Golden Bears will turn their attention to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championships on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville, N.C.

The NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, at Kansas University's Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kan. The top teams and individual qualifiers from the regional championships will earn the opportunity to compete for a national title.

The meet will be streamed live on the PSAC Digital Network, with live stats available through Lexicon Timing.