PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Little East Conference has announced its full slate of All-Conference awards for the women's cross country season and five UMass Dartmouth student-athletes have been recognized.
The Corsairs – who won the 2026 Championship title for the seventh time in program history last Saturday – were paced by an All-LEC First Team performance from senior captain
Sarah Lynch. She crossed the finish line second overall in a time of 22:48.9 – narrowly missing her all-time best in a 6k event. It also marked her second straight All-Conference First Team honor.
Sophomore
Alexah Pedder garnered All-LEC Second Team recognition for the first time in her career, crossing the line in eighth overall with a mark of 23:47.8. That mark was also a personal best for the second-year runner.
Classmate
Elena Aponte was next to finish, placing 12th overall in 24:02.2 – another personal best for her first Second Team award, while senior captain
Sophie Owen finished 14th in 24:03.2 for her second career Second Team honor.
Overall, the squad saw their top seven runners finish 23rd or better, including six in the Top-19 of the event. It marked the first Championship win for UMD since the 1998 season, having previously won in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998.
Rounding out the women's honors was senior
Liv DeSimone, who was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team. In last Saturday's race, she placed 40th overall with a time of 25:27.2.
Additionally, the Corsairs saw fourth-year head coach
Ryan O'Connell and assistant coach
Vinny Gardner earn the Women's Coaching Staff of the Year honors from the LEC.
UMass Dartmouth will return to action on November 14 as the women's squad travels to the Wainwright Sports Complex in South Portland, Maine for the 2026 NCAA Northeast Regionals – hosted by Bates College. The women's 6k event begins at 11am.
