NEW YORK | A conference rivalry between St. Joseph’s-Long Island and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is expected again if the league coaches have their predictions in order. 
 
The Skyline Conference's 12 head women's cross country coaches have cast their ballots for the 2023 edition of the preseason coaches poll, selecting St. Joseph’s-Long Island to win it all.

The Golden Eagles, which finished second at championships last fall and then went on to win the ECACs (below) for the third straight time, edged out last year’s champ, USMMA, in the poll.

St. Joseph’s-LI returns standouts Marissa Degni and Gianna Dickson, among others. At championships, Degni led the women with a 6K time of 25:13.1 and a fourth-place finish, while Dickson posted a sixth-place finish (25:43.4). The duo were once again on point at ECACs, as Dickson led the way this time in 26:16.4 for a second-place finish. Degni took eighth (27:17.7), helping to lead the program to another ECAC crown.
 
Despite the first-place ranking, the Golden Eagles received only four first-place votes, while USMMA narrowly comes in second (113-109), but received seven of the possible 12 votes. Maritime is ranked third. Farmingdale State is fourth, taking the other remaining first-place vote.

Mount Saint Mary, Manhattanville, Purchase, Yeshiva, Old Westbury, Sarah Lawrence, Mount Saint Vincent and St. Joseph’s-Brooklyn complete the rankings.

The 2023 Skyline Conference Cross Country Championships are slated for Sunday, Oct. 22, at the Hudson Valley Sports Dome in Milton, N.Y. The championships will be hosted by MSMC.
 
2023 Skyline Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll

Rank, Team (first-place votes), Pts.

1. St. Joseph's-Long Island (4), 113
2. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (7), 109
3. Maritime, 104
4. Farmingdale State (1), 96
5. Mount Saint Mary, 76
6. Manhattanville, 69
7. Purchase, 51
8. Yeshiva, 45
9. Old Westbury, 39
10. Sarah Lawrence, 33
11. Mount Saint Vincent, 32
12. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn, 25