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TSR's 2026 Preseason D2 XC Top 10 Team Rankings (Women): #3 Colorado Mines Orediggers
Written by Jaime Diedel, edits & additional commentary via Gavin Struve
NOTE #1: Earlier this summer, The Stride Report reached out to nearly every team that was considered for a possible ranking this summer. While we did receive numerous responses and great clarity, we did not get a 100% response rate. On certain occasions, we are referencing TFFRS in order to talk about returners and athletes who are out of eligibility.
NOTE #2: The Stride Report is aware that a number of meets have already taken place during the 2026 cross country season. However, The Stride Report believes that these early-season races (often called "rust-busters") hold little-to-no importance on a team's national standing due to the limited competition and the lack of top names being entered at these meets.
After an incredible attempt at an NCAA team title in 2025, the women of Colorado remain one of the top teams in the nation entering the 2026 season. While they may have lost nearly half of their lineup from the 2025 cross country national meet, the Orediggers still have so much depth and talent remaining and developing that they are still a podium favorite.
Sure, they’ll need some women to rise to the occasion in order to have similar team success to last season, but Coach Chris Siemers' athletes have established a standard of doing just that.
After they missed the podium in 2024 following four straight top-four national meet finishes, the Orediggers got back in 2025. We think 2026 will be the continuation of a new streak.
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The 2025 cross country season really began for the Orediggers at the Lucian Rosa Invitational, which wasn’t until the final weekend in September. That was arguably the largest and most competitive Division Two meet of the regular season. The top programs flocked to Wisconsin for a first glimpse of what the national standings and NCAA XC Championships course could look like.
The Colorado Mines women were phenomenal, displaying incredible depth, pack running and flat-out dominance. With just 51 team points, they took the overall win. Runner-up Adams State couldn’t match the 1-2-3 punch provided by Grace Strongman, Emily LaMena and Margaux Basart.
Senior Strongman (1st) and sophomore LaMena (2nd) led the field in dominant fashion, both finishing almost a whole minute ahead of teammate and 3rd place finisher Basart.
But a team can’t run to victory without solid backend scorers. So, thanks to a top-20 finish from Callen Nash (17th) and a decent effort from newbie Katie Price (28th), the Colorado Mines women took home gold comfortably.
Two more freshmen, Gabriela Boeckman and Angela Friedman, landed among the team’s top-seven, offering backup within the top-40 finishers. Senior Lexi Herr was a bit further back than expected as the Orediggers' eighth finisher, but let’s remember, this was the first race of the season for these women.
At the RMAC XC Championships, the women of Colorado Mines once again proved that they’re an absolute powerhouse.
Strongman won the individual conference crown in a near sub-20-minute 6000-meter effort. LaMena placed 3rd, with individual NCAA champion Tristian Spence finishing between her and Strongman.
In another demonstration of the team's depth, Basart, Nash and freshman Sierra Wall placed 7th, 8th and 9th, respectively. With all five scoring women in the conference’s top-10, it was nearly impossible for any other team to catch the Orediggers.
Boeckman had one heck of a race herself, placing 12th and producing a 21:30 mark in just her second attempt at the 6k distance. She was the best sixth runner on any team in the field. Price also showed a lot of promise in her first RMAC race, as she finished 25th in a sub-22:00 effort.
As expected, the women of Colorado Mines headed to the South Central regional meet with little worry. They had been the team to beat all season long and knew they could reach the national stage without their top runner.
Strongman sat out the regional meet, meaning LaMena was the low-stick. She executed her job perfectly, placing 4th overall. Herr had a fantastic performance in placing 12th, with Wall a few seconds back in 13th. Once again, Colorado Mines ran with a pack mentality.
The final scoring Orediggers, Price and Nash, crossed the finish line practically side by side in 26th and 27th, respectively, aiding in Colorado Mines’ automatic qualifying spot to the national meet.
Basart wasn’t a scorer on the day, but she was a solid sixth runner for the women of Golden, Colorado. And frankly, it was just another testament to the Orediggers' depth that they could have a successful day with anybody in their scoring contingent.
By the time the NCAA XC Championships rolled around, the Colorado Mines women carried tons of momentum to the start line and were a legitimate contender for the NCAA title.
Ultimately, the Orediggers left Wisconsin as the national runner-up, still an incredible result, but so close to gold. Grand Valley State outperformed them by just four points.
Colorado Mines had an extraordinary low-stick in Strongman, who took the individual runner-up spot. She was backed up by none other than LaMena in 7th place. Not far behind, Herr came out of nowhere to cross the finish line in 9th place in a massive personal best, earning her first All-American accolade.
Wall had herself an incredibly successful first national meet, becoming a top-half All-American and integral part of Colorado Mines’ team performance. Basart (35th) also landed in All-American territory, making for a strong final scorer for the Orediggers.
The women of Colorado Mines proved how deep their lineup was by placing all of their scorers among the nation’s top-40 runners. The only other team to have such a feat was the Lakers of Grand Valley State, who closed out their scoring lineup slightly quicker.
While Nash and Price didn’t place as high as their other teammates, they both gained invaluable experience on the national stage. And the Orediggers couldn’t have been as successful as they were without the support of Nash and Price all season long.
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Grace Strongman is the obvious loss for Siemers and the rest of the women of Colorado Mines. She was the individual NCAA XC Championship individual runner-up and then went on to win the 2026 NCAA outdoor 5000-meter title.
But if we’re being honest, the loss of Lexi Herr and Margaux Basart is just about as devastating. Without the depth they provided, Colorado Mines wouldn't have been one of the nation’s top programs last fall. The good news for the Orediggers, however, is that they have numerous returners seemingly ready to step up.
Colorado Mines will need Emily LaMena to be the focal scorer, and after her top-10 finish on the national stage last fall, she seems more than capable of filling that role. The now-junior has tons of championship experience and the accolades to back up it up. Most recently on the track, LaMena won the NCAA 3000-meter steeplechase title and then came back to earn national meet silver over 5000 meters. She's listed at TSR #3 in our preseason individual rankings.
It may seem early for Sierra Wall to be Colorado Mines' second scorer, but she seems up to it after her starry true freshman year.
Wall’s strength on the grass translated extremely well onto the track, where she added even more All-American finishes to her name. At the indoor national meet, Wall qualified for both the 3000 meters and 5000 meters, finishing 7th in the latter. At the outdoor national meet, the young Oredigger displayed her 3000-meter steeplechase talent in becoming the NCAA Outdoor Championship runner-up!
Wall (TSR #6) now enters the fall with an entire year in the collegiate scene under her belt. If we thought she was successful last cross country season, it should be quite exciting to see what she can accomplish with her newfound experience, confidence and growth.
The youth of Colorado Mines just keeps on coming! Gabriela Boeckman and Katie Price, fellow freshmen last fall, will both be more of a factor in 2026.
The former didn't compete on the national stage as a true freshman, but looked like a potential star in placing 12th at the RMAC XC Championships. The latter finished behind Boeckman at the conference meet, but did compete at the national meet, altogether showing real burgeoning talent as a redshirt rookie. Angela Friedman could also make an impact after gaining experience as a freshman last fall.
Callen Nash, now a senior, figures to be another huge factor in the Orediggers’ success. Last fall, Nash was a scorer on several occasions, including her top-10 finish at the RMAC XC Championships. Most recently, Nash looked like a star over 10,000 meters on the outdoor oval. She covered the distance in 35:25 at the Bryan Clay Invitational, and even became RMAC runner-up in the event.
She probably has a higher floor than the aforementioned youngsters, having finished top-10 at the RMAC XC Championships and top-70 at the national meet last fall. Colorado Mines may need Nash to take an All-American leap in order for the Orediggers to get where they want to go, but she seems capable of it.
Josie Mejia could be a factor after running 17:23 (5k) this spring and placing 5th in that event at the 2026 RMAC Outdoor Championships. She didn't race in the postseason last fall, but placed 25th at the 2024 RMAC XC Championships.
After how impactful their freshmen were last fall, it makes sense to examine the Orediggers' 2026 crop of rookies.
Colorado native Elsa Vessely is a 4:53 miler and an 11:23 (3200) runner who may be at her best on the track (she's also a 2:10 half-miler), but has upside across all three seasons. Madison Miles has a very similar skillset, having run 4:52 (1600) and 11:23 (two-mile).
Iowa native Emma Chesterman should also be a big name in Colorado Mines' lineup. The incoming freshman was a cross country star in high school and holds a 5k personal best of 17:55. She should have no trouble fitting in with this squad.
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Siemers has never struggled to develop talent and replace the depth of his women in the past, and with strong returners and a youthful roster once again, the 2026 season should be no different.
The Orediggers have undeniable talent across the board, with a national champion and All-Americans on their roster. They have the best of both worlds with their youth and experience.
After an extremely gutsy runner-up performance at last year’s NCAA XC Championships, the women of Colorado Mines are looking to replicate that success. Their talent, pack running and consistency on the cross country course should aid in that quest.
It will be hard to make up for the loss of three All-Americans. However, Boeckman and Price could become that type of runner. Meanwhile, LaMena and Wall should make up one of the best one-two punches in D2, while Nash is a strong middle lineup option. As such, the Orediggers appear to be in line for their sixth podium finish in a seven-year span.
