Towson Women’s Cross Country Finishes Ninth at 2026 CAA Championships
By Brian Hradsky
BETHPAGE, N.Y. — The Towson University women’s cross country team finished ninth at the 2026 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Cross Country Championships on Oct. 30 at Bethpage State Park in New York. The Tigers recorded 264 points against a competitive field of 12 conference programs. Junior Rebekka Hillier led Towson with a 38th-place individual finish, completing the six-kilometer course in 22 minutes, 14.5 seconds. The championship provided another opportunity for the Tigers to evaluate their progress against some of the conference’s strongest distance-running programs.
Elon University captured its second consecutive CAA women’s cross country championship with an impressive 33-point performance. Monmouth finished second with 78 points, while William & Mary secured third place with 82 points. Northeastern placed fourth with 88 points, followed by Stony Brook with 108 points. Elon’s dominant showing delivered the program its seventh women’s cross country conference championship in eight years.
Rebekka Hillier Leads Towson at Conference Championships
Hillier continued her consistent junior campaign by leading Towson across the finish line in a field of 113 competitors. Her time of 22:14.5 placed her 38th overall and made her the Tigers’ top individual finisher at the conference championship. Hillier previously led Towson at the Main Line Invitational and finished among the team’s top three runners in every meet during the fall season. Her consistency provided an important foundation for Towson throughout the campaign.
Senior Baara Stewart followed Hillier with a 60th-place finish, recording a time of 22:43.7. Stewart completed her senior cross country campaign after finishing among Towson’s top three runners in every regular-season and postseason competition. Her reliable performances helped stabilize the Tigers’ scoring lineup throughout the fall. Stewart’s championship result also demonstrated the experience she brought to a roster featuring several younger competitors.
Sophomore Anna Amato finished immediately behind Stewart, placing 61st overall in 22:47.0. Amato enjoyed a productive season that included leading Towson in two meets and earning her first collegiate individual victory at the Mount 5K Duals. Her performance at the conference championship added another solid result to an encouraging sophomore campaign. With additional collegiate eligibility remaining, Amato represents an important piece of Towson’s future distance-running lineup.
Young Tigers Gain Valuable Championship Experience
Sophomore Skylar Pizzulli finished fourth among Towson runners, placing 77th overall with a time of 23:18.0. Freshman Kate Murphy completed the Tigers’ scoring five by finishing 89th in 23:49.0. Together, the five scoring runners averaged approximately 22:58 and finished within 1 minute, 34.5 seconds of one another. That grouping demonstrated the relative consistency of Towson’s scoring lineup against difficult conference competition.
Sophomore Whitney Duhon finished 95th in 24:16.8, while freshman Cameryn Loper placed 99th in 24:44.9. Freshman Olivia Donmoyer rounded out Towson’s championship contingent with a 104th-place finish in 25:04.5. Although the Tigers finished outside the top half of the conference standings, the competition provided meaningful experience for a roster featuring several underclassmen. Competing against established CAA distance runners should help Towson’s younger athletes understand the improvements necessary to move up the conference standings.
The championship also highlighted the importance of depth in collegiate cross country. Teams calculate their scores using the finishing positions of their first five runners, rewarding programs that place multiple athletes near the front of the field. Towson received consistent efforts from its leading competitors but lacked the high individual finishes necessary to challenge the conference’s strongest teams. Developing additional runners capable of finishing among the top 40 or 50 competitors could significantly improve the Tigers’ future championship results.
Complete Towson Cross Country Championship Results
| Runner | Finish | 6K Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rebekka Hillier | 38th | 22:14.5 |
| Baara Stewart | 60th | 22:43.7 |
| Anna Amato | 61st | 22:47.0 |
| Skylar Pizzulli | 77th | 23:18.0 |
| Kate Murphy | 89th | 23:49.0 |
| Whitney Duhon | 95th | 24:16.8 |
| Cameryn Loper | 99th | 24:44.9 |
| Olivia Donmoyer | 104th | 25:04.5 |
Elon Dominates CAA Championship Field
Elon delivered the championship’s most impressive team performance, placing four runners among the top nine individual finishers. Junior Hannah Weber captured the individual championship with a time of 20:36.6, while teammate Abby Beville finished second in 20:41.3. Monmouth’s Emily Simko placed third in 20:43.9, giving the Hawks a strong individual performance to complement their runner-up team finish. Elon’s depth ultimately proved decisive, with six Phoenix runners finishing among the top 16 competitors.
The championship also demonstrated the competitive balance among several of the conference’s leading programs. Monmouth and William & Mary finished just four points apart, while Northeastern remained close behind with 88 points. Towson finished seven points behind eighth-place Hampton and 34 points ahead of 10th-place UNCW. Those margins provide useful benchmarks for the Tigers as they work toward improving their conference position.
Elon’s championship performance established a demanding standard for the rest of the conference. The Phoenix combined outstanding individual performances with a tightly grouped scoring lineup, allowing them to build a substantial advantage over the field. Towson faces a significant challenge in closing that competitive gap, but the program can use the championship results to establish measurable development goals. Improving individual finishing positions and strengthening the team’s overall depth will be essential to future progress.
Towson Looks to Build on Young Roster
Despite finishing ninth, Towson has several reasons to remain optimistic about the development of its women’s cross country program. Hillier established herself as a dependable leader throughout the season, while Amato demonstrated the ability to compete for individual victories. Pizzulli and Murphy also gained valuable experience competing in a championship environment. Their continued development could help the Tigers establish a stronger scoring lineup in future seasons.
Replacing Stewart’s consistent production will represent an important challenge for the program. The senior provided leadership and dependable results throughout the fall, helping Towson maintain stability within its scoring group. Younger runners will need to assume greater responsibilities as the Tigers prepare for another competitive campaign. The development of freshmen such as Murphy, Loper and Donmoyer could become particularly important to the team’s long-term improvement.
Towson’s position in the conference standings also suggests that progress is achievable. The Tigers finished only seven points behind Hampton, demonstrating how relatively small changes in individual finishing positions can influence the final team standings. Moving into the upper half of the CAA will require more substantial improvements, particularly against programs with multiple runners near the front of the field. However, the experience gained during the 2026 championship provides a foundation for those improvements.
MSB Take: Towson Has a Foundation for Future Improvement
Towson’s ninth-place finish was not the championship result the Tigers hoped to achieve, but several individual performances offered encouraging signs. Hillier’s leadership, Amato’s development and the experience gained by the team’s younger runners provide a foundation for future improvement. The Tigers must develop greater front-of-the-pack competitiveness to challenge the conference’s strongest programs. Closing the gap between their leading runners and the CAA’s top individual finishers should become an important objective.
The program also faces the challenge of replacing Stewart’s consistent production following her senior cross country campaign. Her contributions helped Towson maintain a dependable scoring presence throughout the fall, and younger runners will need to assume greater responsibilities. Hillier and Amato appear particularly well-positioned to help lead that transition. Continued development from Pizzulli, Murphy, Duhon, Loper and Donmoyer could strengthen the team’s overall depth.
The Tigers have a measurable opportunity to improve their standing within the conference. Only seven points separated Towson from Hampton, showing how modest changes in scoring positions can affect the final standings. However, challenging the conference’s top programs will require larger improvements across the lineup. Elon demonstrated the level of individual excellence and team depth necessary to compete for championships.
Towson leaves the 2026 CAA Championships with a ninth-place finish, several encouraging individual performances and valuable experience for its younger runners. The program’s next challenge will be converting that experience into faster times and stronger team results. With several contributors eligible to return, the Tigers have pieces to build around as they prepare for future competition. For Maryland college sports fans, Towson’s developing distance-running program remains one worth following.
