PAC Cross Country Championships Page

TRAFFORD, Pa. -- The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) announced its pre-championship polls and runners to watch ahead of Saturday's 2026 PAC Championships at Youngstown State University's Gorby Family Championship Cross Country Course in Canfield, Ohio.

On the women's side, coaches across the conference predicted Allegheny will finish tied for fourth. The Gators and Presidents from Washington and Jefferson College both earned 96 points in the pre-championship poll. Grove City College received the most points with 126, followed by Saint Vincent College (112) and Franciscan University (99).

Three Gators from the women's team were spotlighted as runners to watch. Senior Shyann Rulander (Warren, Pa./Warren), a returning All-PAC Second Teamer, is expected to lead the team to the finish line once again. Rulander has been Allegheny's top finisher in every race so far in 2026 and is coming off a six-kilometer personal record of 22:50.6 at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational. She was joined on the watchlist by sophomores Madison McGarrah (Butler, Pa./Butler) and Gabriella Palmer (Ligonier, Pa./Ligonier Valley).

In the PAC's men's cross country pre-championship Poll, Allegheny finished in sixth place with 79 points. The Gators trail fifth-place Franciscan by a mere six points, but hold a 20-point lead over the next closest team. Geneva College was picked as the conference favorite with 113 points, seven more than second-place Grove City (106).

The list of men's runners to keep an eye on Saturday also includes three Gators. Like Rulander, second-year standout Tyler Biss (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) has led the Allegheny men in every race this fall. As a freshman, he was named an All-PAC Honorable Mention with a 15th-place finish. At the Aubrey Shenk Invitational, Biss turned in a season-best eight-kilometer time of 26:13.1. The PAC also recognized freshmen Lukas Czegan (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) and Samuel Gwitt (Buffalo, N.Y./Nichols).

Saturday's action is scheduled to begin with the women's 6K race at 11 a.m., followed by the men's 8K at noon. Fans can follow along with live results and streaming video.