LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (Aug. 19) – The California (PA) women's cross country team was slotted No. 12 in the preseason Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) poll released by the league office on Wednesday afternoon.

The Vulcans placed No. 12 at the league meet last season and return all six runners who competed at the event.

Defending-PSAC Champion East Stroudsburg was the preseason favorite after earning 12 first-place votes. Edinboro, which tied for first place at the 2025 PSAC Championships, received a trio of first-place votes and was positioned second. Bloomsburg and West Chester both received a single first-place vote and were positioned third and fourth, respectively. Shippensburg rounded out the top five in the preseason poll.

Individually, Gannon junior Emily Bowers returns after capturing the league title in 2025, as the Golden Knights were ranked ninth in the poll.

Cal opens the year with a dual meet against IUP on Sept. 4 at Roadman Park.