WINONA, Minn. – Under a week out from the Red and White Alumni Meet hosted by the Saint Mary's cross country teams! The Cardinals could not be more excited about the youthful talent and experienced upperclassmen who will guide them to success this season. 

"We have a very young roster, with well over half of our student-athletes being freshmen, and they have already brought a tremendous amount of energy, enthusiasm, and competitiveness to the program," said coach Darren Schneider, who heads into his sixth season at the helm. "I'm most looking forward to watching them grow throughout the season, both individually as runners and collectively as a team."

"There is something special about seeing a young group begin to discover what they are capable of, and I think this team has a very high ceiling."

The team will race in their first official meet of the season in South Dakota at the Augustana Twilight Invitational set for under the lights at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4. They will then head to the cities to compete at another highly competitive meet, the 40th Roy Griak Invitational, hosted by the University of Minnesota on Friday, Sept. 18.

The Cardinals will be on St. Olaf's campus for two weekends straight.

The MIAC Cross Country Championships are set for Saturday, Oct. 31 at 11:00 a.m. in Northfield before turning around to the same course on Saturday, Nov. 14 to compete in the NCAA North Regional race to determine their fate for the DIII NCAA Championships.

The team returns Mya Slavin, a junior from St. Charles, Minn., and an All-Conference selection in 2025, who broke three race records last season to make another large impact on her team.

This 2026 squad will see some new faces, with ultimately 14 newcomers on the men's and women's team that will be jumping into collegiate action. 

"We may be young, but we are not lacking in ambition, and I believe this group has the potential to surprise some people."