Rose Coats Named One Of Big Ten Cross Country Runners To Watch
8/19/2026 3:00:00 PM | Women's Cross Country
COLLEGE PARK, MD - Senior Rose Coats has been named to the Big Ten Conference 2026 Women's Cross Country Runners To Watch List as announced by the league today.
Coats enters her senior campaign with the Terps as one of the top all-time runners in program history after back-to-back NCAA Championship appearances. Last season, the Brooklyn, NY, native also became the first harrier in program history to earn All-Big Ten First Team honors. She is one of just two runners in Terp history to make back-to-back NCAA Championships joining Maryland Hall of Famer Rosalind Taylor. Additionally, Coats is a two-time NCAA All-Region honoree.
In the classroom, the chemical engineering major is a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree, a two-time CSC Academic All-District selection, and has earned multiple Academic All-Big Ten honors.
The 2026 Maryland women's cross country campaign will officially get underway on Friday, Sept. 4 at the Delaware Invitational.
The Big Ten Conference's 2026 Women's Runners to Watch List featured 18 cross country student-athletes. The watch list was determined by the conference's head coaches.
The 2026 cross country season is set to begin on Friday, Sep. 4. In the 2025 season, Oregon won the women's Big Ten Championship for the second consecutive season with a Big Ten record low of 18 team points. Big Ten Freshman of the Year Diana Cherotich crossed the finish line first, and the Ducks claimed four of the top five finishers.
Five runners on the preseason list earned postseason honors last year, and three finished within the top 10 at the Big Ten Championships.
The complete 2026 Women's Runners to Watch List can be found below:
Big Ten Women's Cross Country Runners to Watch
Kennady Anderson, Jr., Illinois
Katy Zang, Fr., Indiana
Hillary Trainor, Jr., Iowa
Rose Coats, Sr., Maryland
Penelopea Gordon, Grad., Michigan
Sarah Forsyth, Grad., Michigan State
Ali Weimer, Grad., Minnesota
Ali Bainbridge, Sr., Nebraska
Ava Criniti, Jr., Northwestern
Audrey DeSantis, Grad., Ohio State
Diana Cherotich, So., Oregon
Charlotte Costich, Grad., Penn State
Lauren Pegher, Jr., Purdue
Kelseigh O'Neil, Jr., Rutgers
Olivia Foody, Jr., UCLA
Holli Prest, Jr., USC
Julia David-Smith, Grad., Washington
Mikaela Helling, Sr., Wisconsin
Coats enters her senior campaign with the Terps as one of the top all-time runners in program history after back-to-back NCAA Championship appearances. Last season, the Brooklyn, NY, native also became the first harrier in program history to earn All-Big Ten First Team honors. She is one of just two runners in Terp history to make back-to-back NCAA Championships joining Maryland Hall of Famer Rosalind Taylor. Additionally, Coats is a two-time NCAA All-Region honoree.
In the classroom, the chemical engineering major is a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree, a two-time CSC Academic All-District selection, and has earned multiple Academic All-Big Ten honors.
The 2026 Maryland women's cross country campaign will officially get underway on Friday, Sept. 4 at the Delaware Invitational.
The Big Ten Conference's 2026 Women's Runners to Watch List featured 18 cross country student-athletes. The watch list was determined by the conference's head coaches.
The 2026 cross country season is set to begin on Friday, Sep. 4. In the 2025 season, Oregon won the women's Big Ten Championship for the second consecutive season with a Big Ten record low of 18 team points. Big Ten Freshman of the Year Diana Cherotich crossed the finish line first, and the Ducks claimed four of the top five finishers.
Five runners on the preseason list earned postseason honors last year, and three finished within the top 10 at the Big Ten Championships.
The complete 2026 Women's Runners to Watch List can be found below:
Big Ten Women's Cross Country Runners to Watch
Kennady Anderson, Jr., Illinois
Katy Zang, Fr., Indiana
Hillary Trainor, Jr., Iowa
Rose Coats, Sr., Maryland
Penelopea Gordon, Grad., Michigan
Sarah Forsyth, Grad., Michigan State
Ali Weimer, Grad., Minnesota
Ali Bainbridge, Sr., Nebraska
Ava Criniti, Jr., Northwestern
Audrey DeSantis, Grad., Ohio State
Diana Cherotich, So., Oregon
Charlotte Costich, Grad., Penn State
Lauren Pegher, Jr., Purdue
Kelseigh O'Neil, Jr., Rutgers
Olivia Foody, Jr., UCLA
Holli Prest, Jr., USC
Julia David-Smith, Grad., Washington
Mikaela Helling, Sr., Wisconsin
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
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