NEW LONDON, N.H. – The Saint Joseph's College women's cross country team capped an outstanding conference season with a third-place finish at the 2026 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship Sunday afternoon at Colby-Sawyer College.
The Monks totaled 67 points, finishing just two points behind runner-up Norwich University (65), while Emmanuel College captured the conference title with 38 points. Saint Joseph's placed three runners among the top eight overall, led by sophomore Amber Pendleton (Warren, Maine) with a fourth-place finish in 25:01.7.
Freshman Haley Marston (Greene, Maine) continued her impressive rookie campaign with a seventh-place finish in 25:40.6, while senior Cadance Gilbert (Keene, N.H.) crossed immediately behind in eighth with a time of 25:42.8.
NEED TO KNOW:
Saint Joseph's finished third in the GNAC for the second consecutive season, following a 68-point performance at the 2025 championship. This year's team finished with 67 points while producing three of the race's first eight finishers.
Perhaps the clearest indication of the team's growth came in its return to the same Colby-Sawyer 6K course used for the GNAC Preview on October 4. Every Saint Joseph's runner who finished both races improved her time at the championship.
Pendleton improved from 25:59.7 to 25:01.7, a 58.0-second improvement. Marston lowered her time from 26:08.7 to 25:40.6, while Gilbert improved from 26:27.7 to 25:42.8. Freshman Meg Kingsley (Windham, Maine) also improved to 27:43.2, placing 21st overall.
The largest improvements came from the Monks' young runners farther down the lineup. Freshman Danica Patry (Berlin, N.H.) lowered her time from 30:59.3 at the preview to 29:30.3, an improvement of 1:29.0, while freshman Addison Alpers (Bristol, N.H.) improved by 1:24.9, from 30:38.9 to 29:14.0. Freshman Cecilia Steele (Stark, N.H.) also improved by 35.9 seconds.
The championship performance capped a conference season that established this group as one of the program's strongest teams in recent years, with a young core positioned to continue building on that success.
FOR THE MONKS:
- Amber Pendleton (So., Warren, Maine) – 4th, 25:01.7
- Haley Marston (Fr., Greene, Maine) – 7th, 25:40.6
- Cadance Gilbert (Sr., Keene, N.H.) – 8th, 25:42.8
- Meg Kingsley (Fr., Windham, Maine) – 21st, 27:43.2
- Addison Alpers (Fr., Bristol, N.H.) – 31st, 29:14.0
- Danica Patry (Fr., Berlin, N.H.) – 33rd, 29:30.3
- Cecilia Steele (Fr., Stark, N.H.) – 36th, 29:56.5
COACH'S CORNER:
"This group has been all in from day one, and it has been special to watch what they have accomplished together this season. They have bought into the process, competed for one another, and consistently made the most of every opportunity along the way. This is one of the best women's teams in program history, and I couldn't be prouder of the way they have represented our program. It has been an incredible journey with an amazing group of women," said Head Coach Mike Burleson.
UP NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will continue its postseason at the NCAA Division III East Regional Championship on Saturday, November 14 at the Wainwright Recreation Complex in South Portland, Maine. The regional will be hosted by Bates College.
