HADLEY, Mass. – Audrey MacLean of Middlebury is the NESCAC Most Outstanding Performer following the 2026 NESCAC Cross Country Championships hosted by Middlebury on October 31. The annual honor is given to the individual who finished first at the conference championship.
MacLean won the NESCAC title with a time of 20:54.4, 19.7 seconds ahead of teammate and sophomore Annelise Jensen. MacLean is the 14th Panther to win an individual title and is the fourth woman to win three NESCAC titles after also claiming the title in 2024 and 2025. Caroline Cretti of Williams was the most recent three-time winner (2002, 2004, 2005) and MacLean is the first runner to win three straight women’s titles (2024, 2025, 2026) since former Middlebury standout Dorcas Denhartog took three in a row from 1984 to 1986.
Sophie Capozzi of Williams is the NESCAC Women's Rookie of the Year after placing 11th overall and to earn All-NESCAC Second Team honors. Capozzi, who helped the Ephs claim their seventh straight NESCAC team title, is the seventh Eph to garner the Rookie of the Year honor and the first since Genna Girard in 2021.
The Williams women's coaching staff (Dusty Lopez and Stephanie Mauer) was voted as the Coaching Staff of the Year by their peers for the fourth year in a row after leading the Ephs' the NESCAC title for the seventh consecutive season and 23rd time overall.
Below are the All-NESCAC Teams. The top seven finishers are recognized as All-NESCAC First Team and runners in places 8-14 are All-NESCAC Second Team honorees.
NESCAC Women's Most Outstanding Performer: Audrey MacLean, Middlebury
NESCAC Women's Rookie of the Year: Sophie Capozzi, Williams
NESCAC Women's Coaching Staff of the Year: Williams
ALL-NESCAC (Top 14 Individual finishers: 1-7 First Team | 8-14 Second Team)
| Pl. |
Name, School |
Yr. |
Time |
Previous Honors |
| 1 |
Audrey MacLean, Middlebury |
SR |
20:54.4 |
2025 MOP, 2025 1st Team, 2024 MOP, 2024 1st Team, 2023 ROY, 2023 1st Team |
| 2 |
Annelise Jensen, Middlebury |
SO |
21:14.1 |
|
| 3 |
Kate Tuttle, Williams |
JR |
21:19.5 |
2025 1st Team, 2024 1st Team |
| 4 |
Claire Palmer, Middlebury |
SO |
21:21.1 |
2025 1st Team |
| 5 |
Tamar Byl, Williams |
SR |
21:23.6 |
2025 1st Team, 2024 2nd Team |
| 6 |
April Schilling, Connecticut College |
SR |
21:29.7 |
|
| 7 |
Kiera Tallas, Connecticut College |
SR |
21:30.2 |
2025 2nd Team |
| Pl. |
Name, School |
Yr. |
Time |
Previous Honors |
| 8 |
Jordan Liss-Riordan, Williams |
SR |
21:34.6 |
|
| 9 |
Morgan Eigel, Williams |
SR |
21:39.9 |
2025 1st Team |
| 10 |
Zui Chinchalkar, Tufts |
SO |
21:40.7 |
|
| 11 |
Sophie Capozzi, Williams |
FR |
21:41.5 |
|
| 12 |
Charlotte Crum, Bates |
FR |
21:50.4 |
|
| 13 |
Annecy Vlieks, Middlebury |
FR |
21:50.8 |
|
| 14 |
Katya Henisz, Tufts |
SR |
21:51.9 |
|
