BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – On Monday, the Gulf South Conference announced its 2026 Women's Cross Country Coaches Preseason Poll and Runners To Watch, naming both Tamsyn Gibbs and Rose Betts to the watchlist while the team ranked third.

In addition to a year in which she was named a 2025 NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country All-Academic honoree and to the CSC Academic All-District team, Gibbs was named a 2025 NCAA All-Region honoree. The junior finished 17th at the NCAA DII South Regional Championships and eighth at the GSC Cross Country Championships in 2025.

A freshman, Betts joins the Chargers after a standout prep career at Brewer High School where she was the 2024 and 2025 individual Class 5A cross country champion. She was also named the MVP for the North team at the AHSAA's All-Star Week as a high school senior.

As a team, the UAH women's cross country earned the No. 3 spot on the GSC Preseason Coaches poll. The Chargers capped the 2025 season with a fifth place finish at the NCAA DII South Regional Championships and third at the GSC Cross Country Championships.

The team begins its season on Saturday, September 5, at the Memphis Twilight in Tennessee.

The full preseason poll and runners to watch list are as follows:

2026 GSC Women's Cross Country Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Lee (8), 98 points
2. Mississippi Christian (3), 91 points
3. UAH, 84 points
4. Union, 71 points
5. Trevecca Nazarene, 60 points
6. AUM, 58 points
7. Christian Brothers, 44 points
8. Montevallo, 42 points
9. West Alabama, 27 points
10. Valdosta State, 19 points
11. Delta State, 11 points
 
First-place votes in parentheses
 
2026 GSC Women's Cross Country Runners to Watch
Rose Betts, Fr., UAH
Tamsyn Gibbs, Jr., UAH
Chloe Helms, Jr., AUM
Emma McGee, Jr., AUM
Amira Benmerouk, Fr., Christian Brothers
Phoebe Steel, So., Christian Brothers
Linnett Barrock, Jr., Delta State
Caroline McAlpin, So., Delta State
Lindsey Hogue, So., Delta State
Katie Beam, Sr., Lee
Capucine Cureanu, So., Lee
Ava Sparks, So., Lee
Kinley Harris, Jr., Mississippi Christian
Audrey Mayatte, So., Mississippi Christian
Catherine Wallace, So., Mississippi Christian
Addi Aguayo, Sr., Union
Emma Madding, Jr., Union
Victoria Markham, Sr., Union
Miriam Dominguez-Tellez, Sr., West Alabama
Rita Walker, Sr., West Alabama