MSJC adds women's cross country to its athletics program

Press release from Mt. San Jacinto College:

MENIFEE -- The Mt. San Jacinto College Athletic Department has announced a strategic shift in its sports offerings for the 2025-26 academic year, replacing women’s golf with a new women’s cross country program set to launch in Fall 2025.

The decision comes as the women’s golf program has faced challenges in recent years, struggling to maintain a full roster amid a statewide decline in participation. By introducing women’s cross country, MSJC aims to enhance athletic opportunities for female student-athletes and strengthen overall program enrollment.

“We are looking for opportunities to maximize our female participation within intercollegiate athletics, and from our data gathered through CCCApply, cross country seems to be a good fit for us,” said Patrick Springer, Dean of Kinesiology, Health, Nutrition, and Athletics.

The move aligns with local trends, as high schools throughout the district—from Beaumont to Temecula—have established strong cross country programs. Springer hopes that MSJC’s new team will encourage these student-athletes to continue competing at the collegiate level while pursuing scholarship opportunities at four-year institutions.

“Participation is strong in our district, and our hope is that many of these female student-athletes will want to extend their running careers and give themselves an opportunity to earn a scholarship to the next level,” added Springer.

The new Eagle cross country team will be based at the Menifee Valley Campus, which features a state-of-the-art training facility that was opened in Summer 2023. MSJC aims to recruit 10-20 student-athletes per season, maintaining its commitment to offering seven women’s intercollegiate sports alongside five men’s programs.

The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) women’s cross country season runs from late August through November. The college is currently conducting an extensive search for a head coach to lead the new program.

Interested student-athletes can complete a recruitment questionnaire on the MSJC Athletics website:
MSJC Women’s Cross Country Interest Form