LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The IUP women's cross country program slotted 13th in the 2024 edition of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced Thursday afternoon.
Slippery Rock was the slight favorite in the women's preseason poll with eight first-place votes. Bloomsburg followed in second, earning six first-place votes, with Bloomsburg following in third (three first-place votes).
East Stroudsburg and Millersville rounded out the top five. The complete poll, voted on by the league's head coaches, can be viewed below.
2024 season at a glance
IUP recently retooled the roster with a young unit in 2023 and welcome back several key scorers to the lineup this fall. IUP finished 15th as last year's PSAC Championship meet and return the bulk of its lineup for the 2024 campaign.
Julia O'Brien,
Stella Kuntz,
Hannah Weaver,
Lexi Lovrich,
Tori Stiles and
Emily Schrag were all among the top seven in the IUP scoring lineup as last year's conference championship meet and will be among the anchors for the Crimson Hawks in 2024.
Gwyn Keith also figures to be an important part of a deep IUP distance unit in 2024, boasting an impressive career on the track.
Head coach
Joey Zins is set for his 16th season at the helm of the cross country program in the fall of 2024 and 17th season at IUP overall.
2024 schedule
The Crimson Hawks will be on the road for the entire 2024 slate, beginning with the West Liberty Invitational in Bethany on September 5.
The PSAC Championships take place October 26 before the NCAA Atlantic Regional race on November 9.
Alumni tailgate scheduled for September 28
All IUP cross country/track & field alumni are invited to a free tailgate on September 28 outside of Miller Stadium for the IUP/Clarion football game. Light refreshments and water will be provided. Please bring a comfortable chair, covered dish to share and beverage of your choice.
Register online
here by September 22.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPathletics.com and follow IUP track & field on X (Twitter) @IUPTrackXC.
2024 PSAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
(# of first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Slippery Rock (8)
2. Bloomsburg (6)
3. Shippensburg (3)
4. East Stroudsburg
5. Millersville
6. Kutztown
7. Edinboro
8. Lock Haven
9. California
10. West Chester
11. Seton Hill
12. Clarion
13. IUP
14. Gannon
15. Pitt-Johnstown
16. Mansfield
17. Shepherd
