CHICAGO, Ill. - The NEC conference has announced their preseason coaches poll for the women's outdoor track & field season. The coaches have voted the Chicago State University women's track & field team to a seventh place finish. The Cougars are looking to continue to make noise in the outdoor season after a great indoor season this past winter.
The NEC poll was voted on by the head coaches of the NEC. The 2026 outdoor season will see ten NEC teams competing after the addition of the newest conference member New Haven, along with Mercyhurst starting its first season of their track & field program. Chicago State was voted to finish seventh out of ten teams. 2026 Indoor team champion Central Connecticut was voted top of the coaches poll after getting seven first place team votes. Stonehill College received two first place votes, while last years outdoor team champions Wagner College received one first place vote to sit in tie for second in the poll along with Stonehill. Saint Francis and FDU round out the top five. LIU, Chicago State, New Haven, Le Moyne, and Mercyhurst round of the final five.
The Cougars return three athletes who claimed conference championships last season. Sophomore
Lena Cleveland is looking to repeat as the long jump outdoor champion after won the conference title leaping 5.80m as a freshman. Sprinters
Latonia Johnson and
Queanna Taylor also are looking to make an impact after being members of the 4x100 meter relay team who won the conference championship last season. Johnson and Taylor also had a very successful outdoor season as individuals and will look to both claim their first outdoor individual championship this season.
NEC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Preseason Poll
1. Central Connecticut (7)
2. Stonehill (1)
Wagner (2)
4. Saint Francis
5. FDU
6. LIU
7. Chicago State
8. New Haven
9. Le Moyne
10. Mercyhurst
After opening the season at the EKU Invitational, the Chicago State women's track & field team return to action this weekend with a select few athletes set to compete at the 2026 Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State University from March 26-28.
