GREENVILLE, S.C. – Ahead of the 2026 cross country season, Conference Carolinas released its preseason poll, and the Converse University women's team ranked second. Sophomore Evie De Roos, junior Peyton MacMillan and senior Paisley Stepp were named Players to Watch.


De Roos, a sophomore from De Bilt, Utrecht, The Netherlands, finished first last season for the Valkyries in the four races in which she competed. She finished 10th overall in the Conference Carolinas Championship, earning second-team all-conference honors.


MacMillan, a junior from Fort Mill, scored in all five of the team's races last season. She peaked as the team's second-best finisher twice, finishing as the second-fastest Valkyrie in both the Southeast Regional Preview in September and the Southeast Regional in November.


Stepp, a senior from Hendersonville, North Carolina, also scored in all five of the team's races last season. She peaked as the team's top finisher in the southeast regional, finishing top three amongst Valkyries in the two races prior. That includes finishing third on the team and 17th overall in the Conference Carolinas Championship, earning third-team all-conference honors. She was also an all-conference finisher in 2024, taking home a second-team distinction.


Conference Carolinas also released its preseason coaches' poll, and the Valkyries finished second, earning two first-place votes. North Greenville, the defending champions, placed first with 209 points and the other 13 first-place votes.


Lees-McRae ranked third with 172 points. Mount Olive and King ranked fourth and fifth with 155 and 150 points, respectively. Southern Wesleyan followed King with a 10-point dropoff.


Belmont Abbey and UNC Pembroke followed in seventh and eighth with 134 and 128 points, respectively. Young Harris was the final team to receive over 100 points, earning 110 points in ninth place.


Ferrum placed 10th with 89 points, followed closely by Emmanuel in 11th with 85 points.


Erskine, Barton, Francis Marion and Chowan rounded out the poll.


The Valkyries begin the season at the Bruins XC Night Classic hosted by Bob Jones University.

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