CLAREMONT, Calif. - Olivia Backholm earned the SCIAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year, Isla Duncan captured the Newcomer of the Year and Sadie Drucker earned the SCIAC's Celia Peterson Award for character, sportsmanship, and athletic ability.

Backholm won the individual title at the 2026 SCIAC Championships in a time of 21:48.6, leading the Athenas to a second-place finish. Backholm, who made a big jump up from her 13th place finish at SCIACs a year ago, was the sixth straight individual champion from the Athenas, with five different runners finishing first in that span (joining Ella Marysla, Riley Capuano, Natalie Bitetti twice, and Meredith Bloss). She also earned the second SCIAC title of her career, including a steeplechase win at the track and field championships last year. 

Duncan was a three-time SCIAC Athlete of the Week after strong performances at the Coyote Challenge, UC Riverside Invitational, and Highlander Invitational, when she led the Athenas each time. She finished tenth in the SCIAC Championships despite being hampered by illness, and added a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Pre-Nationals at Carleton College in Minnesota.

Drucker was an All-American a year ago, when she helped CMS to a third-place finish at nationals. She was also a first-team All-SCIAC selection as a sophomore (finishing second) and junior (sixth), and was the SCIAC Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore after not competing during her freshman season. This year, she joined the lineup for the regular season finale at the Highlander Invitational after being hampered by injury and earned All-SCIAC honors. 

The Athenas head to Spokane, Washington for the NCAA Regionals next week, trying to earn their 18th straight team qualification to nationals.