AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's women's cross country team announces its 2025 season schedule, kicking off on September 6 at the UT Tyler Cross Country Open. It will be the first season under new head coach Chase Rathke. 
 
The Hilltoppers open the season in Tyler, Texas, for the second consecutive year at Texas Rose Horse Park. St. Edward's women placed fifth out of 11 teams last season, marking a return for Rathke, who coached at UT Tyler from 2018 to 2022. 
 
St. Edward's follows a week later in College Station at the Texas A&M Cross Country Invitational at the Watts Cross Country Course, where the Hilltoppers placed 11th out of 16 teams last season and own a top finish of sixth in 2022. 
 
On October 4, the Hilltoppers return to the Chile Pepper Festival after a year away from the annual Fayetteville, Arkansas, meet. This meet is the women's fifth Chile Pepper Festival, with a top finish of second out of 34 teams in 2022. 
 
St. Edward's follows on short rest with an October 11 meet at the DBU Old Glory Gallop at AP Ranch, which is also the site of the Lone Star Conference Championships on October 25. This year's NCAA South Central Regional is on November 8, in Pueblo, Colorado. 
 
The Hilltoppers are coming off a fourth-place finish in the LSC and 17th at the NCAA South Central Regional, and return three of their top five runners from last year's LSC Championships in program 6K record-holder MIA RIVERA, JULIANA MERLO, and JENNA SAUNDERS.