LATHAM, N.Y. – Sixth-year Head Coach Reava Potter was named the 2026 United East Conference Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year while the St. Mary's College of Maryland women's cross country team had eight members garner All-United East Conference honors based on their performance at the United East Championships hosted by Penn State Berks (Oct. 31).
 
Potter picked up her fifth Coach of the Year award in women's cross country after leading St. Mary's College to its sixth consecutive league championship title as the Seahawks bested the nine-team field. SMCM edged Cedar Crest College, 62-63, for the six-peat.
 
Junior Ella Mitchell (Baltimore, Md./Bryn Mawr) was the lone Seahawk on the First Team after finishing as the runner-up for the second straight season. This is her third First Team award in a row. Mitchell placed second out of 68 runners, completing the 6K course in 23:19.3.
 
First-year Maggie Tsambikos (Finksburg, Md./Westminster) and senior Avery Arizzi (Arnold, Md./Broadneck) represented St. Mary's College on the Second Team after crossing the finish line in the Top 16.
 
Tsambikos was the second Seahawk to finish as she came in 13th in 26:42.8 while Arizzi took 14th in 27:00.6. Arizzi ended her career as a two-time All-United East selection after earning Third Team honors last season.
 
Landing on the Third Team were seniors Madison Kingsley (White Hall, Md./North Harford), Weiya Carter (Havre de Grace, Md./Towson), and Ellie Geiger (California, Md./Leonardtown), sophomore Molly Hieatzman (Sykesville, Md./Century), and senior Alexis Hodges (Sugarland, Texas/Chopticon [Md.]) who all finished between 17th and 24th.
 
This is Kingsley and Carter's fourth consecutive All-United East award. Kingsley earned a pair of Second Team nods in 2023 and 2024 and claimed Third Team laurels last year. Carter is now a three-time Third Team selection (2023, 2025, 2026) and landed on Second Team in 2024.
 
Kingsley crossed the finish line in 27:22.8 for 18th place while Carter was right on her heels in 27:26.4 for 19th place. Geiger, who is repeating as a Third Team selection after earning a spot last season, placed 20th in 27:41.5 while Hieatzman went 22nd in a personal-best 27:50.5. Rounding out the Third Team honorees is Hodges, who finished 24th in 28:28.3.
 
SMCM will be back in action next Saturday, Nov. 14 at the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships on the West Branch Cross Country Course at Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, Pa. Racing is slated to start at 12 pm.
 
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