UC Santa Cruz is favored in the 2023 Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll, following a vote among the conference head coaches. The Banana Slugs, who have won the past two titles, received 25 points and five first-place votes to top the rankings.

Christopher Newport finished second with 19 points and the final first-place vote, while Salisbury was close behind in third totaling 18 points.  Mary Washington ranked fourth with 14 points.

Pratt placed fifth receiving nine points, while Warren Wilson rounded out the poll with five points.

The 2023 season kicks off the first week of September with the C2C Cross Country Championships being hosted by UC Santa Cruz on Saturday, October 28. The meet will take place at Baylands Regional Park in Sunnyvale, California. 

Below is a brief preview of each women's cross country team entering the 2023 season: 

UC Santa Cruz: Coming off their first-ever team appearance at the NCAA Championships, the Banana Slugs are poised for another great year. All Region runner Riley Martel-Phillips and junior Faith Dyogi placed 1-2 in the C2C Championships last year and lead an experienced returning group. Upperclassmen Andrea Gallardo and Iris Abegglen will aim for repeat All-Region honors, while seven newcomers look to make an impact in their first year.

Christopher Newport: After placing second at the C2C Championships last year, the Christopher Newport women's cross country team returns a veteran group from the 2022 roster. Headlining the award-winning contingent, Madi Rawlins is back after earning a berth in the NCAA Championships while also hauling in All-Conference and All-Region nods. Head coach Tyler Wingard's crew also features junior Eliza Dana, who joined Rawlings on the All-Region squad following a tremendous sophomore season.

Salisbury: Salisbury women's cross country finished third at the 2022 C2C Championships and returns six of its top seven finishers from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships. Leading the pack is two-time First-Team All-C2C honoree Alyssa Santoro, who finished seventh at the C2C Championships in a personal-best 22:13.8. Joining Santoro up front are a trio of top-100 regional finishers in Madi Sisson, Marisa Servis and Maddie Rathmann.

Mary Washington: The Mary Washington women will look toward a strong group of nine returnees to build on a fourth-place finish at the C2C Championships last season, including seniors Amanda Heckman, Amanda Morrissey, Grace Pippin, and Kelly Young, juniors Jessica Oberlies, Eliana Ramirez, and Julia Snow. Sophomores Katherine Armstrong, Enya Cea-Lavin, Sophie Jensen, and Kendra White will also challenge for top-five honors each weekend, as will a group of five newcomers.

Pratt: Senior Christina Sancho-Spore returns as the top harrier for Pratt after leading the squad to third-place at the ECAC Championship and 20th place at the NCAA Meto Region Championship in 2022. Head coach Colin Norwood in his first year at the helm will also turn to key returnees Sarah Cawley and Kathleen Chen to guide a young Cannoneer squad.

Warren Wilson: New head coach Chris Ramirez has a crew of returners and new runners for the Owls.  Valeria Dorries, Tabitha McBrayer, Kayla Schwartz, and Dora Chaison-Lapine are back, while the first year Owls include Rah Juhlin (Saxapahaw, NC), Kaitlin Christian (Northport, Ala.), Aila Givins (Boone, NC), Marlise Pedisich (Asheville,NC), and Ella Tatro (Bridgewater, Va.).