MANSFIELD, Pa. - As the 2026 PSAC cross country season prepares to be underway, the Mountaineers look towards a bright future entering the third year of the Nick Mattis Era.

Women's Team

This year's women's team includes five dedicated returners and three new, thrilling freshmen to help with growing the Mansfield culture developed by Mattis. This group looks to take a strong step forward with a young core. This team comes back after a strong offseason and will look to take the next step forward as a program.

Alyssa Parks comes back after a breakout performance in the outdoor track and field season, placing 8th in the heptathlon. Wyoming Truedeux comes off a strong performance as well in the outdoor season, making the conference championships in the 400-meter dash. Abigail Davies and Mayla Falank look to take the next step in their development, with returner Libby Moore being a strong leader for the team.

"We look for a comprehensive improvement this season." Mattis stated about the women's squad. "They look to take the next step forward."

Men's Team

This year's men's squad includes three returners and two new, exciting freshmen to continue to grow the culture of Coach Mattis' style. This year's squad looks to use this season as a season of growth. With a young core led by a sole senior in Rylan Ebner, the squad looks to him as a bright spot and a leader for such a young team.

 "With the loss of two seniors from last year, it is hard to replace that with this crew." Mattis said. "I look for my older athletes to step into these roles."

The Season Ahead

The Mounties open the year on Friday (Sept. 4) at the Oneonta Airfield Invitational, hosted by SUNY Oneonta. After five regular season meets, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Cross Country Championships take place on November 7, hosted by Bloomsburg University. To finish out the season, the red and black group head to Winston-Salem for the NCAA DII Atlantic Region Championships on November 21.