CARLISLE, Pa. – For the first time since 2010 head coach Don Nichter and the Dickinson women's cross country team will start their season with a chance at claiming the Little Three Championship when the action featuring Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall and Gettysburg gets underway on Tuesday night at the Baker Campus Fields on the campus of Franklin and Marshall College starting at 6:45 p.m.
Schedule overview
- The Devils have eight races on their schedule for the 2026 season, which features six in the regular season and two postseason events.
- Following their opener on Tuesday, the Devils will be back in action on Friday, September 4, when they make the short trip down to Shippensburg University for an 8:30 p.m. start at the Galen Piper Invite.
- The next Saturday, September 12, the Red and White host their annual Long-Short Invitational beginning at 10 a.m. at Big Spring High School in Newville, Pa.
- September ends with a trip to the Hornet Harrier on September 19, before cracking open October at the Paul Short Invitational hosted by Lehigh University on October 2. The regular season then closes out two weeks later with the SUNY Geneseo Invite in New York on October 16.
- The 2026 Centennial Conference Championship will be held at Haverford on Halloween, October 31.
- Two weeks after that Lock Haven University will host the NCAA Mid-East Regional.
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Senior leadership
- Head coach Don Nichter will look to a senior trio of Breanna Franchak, Meghan Higgins-Haas and Rebecca Roberts to finish off their collegiate career strong and continue to lay a strong foundation for the years to come.
From the mind of Coach Nichter
Thoughts on schedule
Different mix with the schedule this year due to some conflicts with our home course availability. The annual Dickinson Long-Short Invite is two weeks earlier in the fall schedule and this may impact on our strategy with decisions of athletes competing in the Long or Short Race. The Little Three Championship meet is now scheduled as the opening meet and this has changed our focus to a "championship" race early in the season. The Centennial Conference and The NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional meet at Haverford and Loch Haven respectively, are both competed on extremely flat and fast surfaces so we will need to prepare for these championships with this as our training focus late in the season.
What have you seen in the preseason that has you excited about this season?
We have had a very successful early season training camp with many double sessions of runs and cross training activities (pool workouts, elliptical training, and spinning). We have incorporated strength training sessions, agility work, and some daily strides for speed development. Workouts have included some threshold intervals, two mile fast fun run, and a mountain challenge run to the top of Kings Gap.
How have your first-years acclimate to the collegiate pace so far?
Our "rookies" this year have adapted to the college training cycle with a passion and purpose. They have responded to the training demands that create a physical challenge and adaptation for improvement. All of our first year athletes are excited about the opportunity to be a part of the DCXC community.
What can the fans, alumni, etc. expect from your team every time you compete?
Dickinson Cross Country is a special journey for our student-athletes. We are grateful that we can share this journey as a team and represent Dickinson by wearing the RED when we toe the starting line together. Our team will be "present" and in the moment by focusing on our racing opportunities. We will celebrate together in the joy of the sport of cross country distance running. All elements of the JOURNEY will be experienced throughout a season of exploration and discovery, but the 2026 DCXC will always be part of a team mantra: The Journey is the Reward!
