DALTON, Ga. - Picked No. 2 in the SSAC preseason coaches' poll behind defending champion William Carey (Miss.), Dalton State entered the fall with ambition and a freshman-heavy lineup. Head coach Carrie Bishop laid out a compact but competitive slate designed to harden the group for conference, including trips to Tallahassee, Fla., Huntsville, Ala., and Knoxville, Tenn. "We're heading to some highly competitive meets to help our team feel prepared for the conference championship," Bishop said when the schedule was released.
 
MEET-BY-MEET: HOW THE FALL UNFOLDED
Mountainside Stride (Aug. 30 | Chattanooga, Tenn.)
With only four healthy, Dalton State made the most of the Mountainside Stride. Kylie Gray paced the Lady Birds in 24:59 for 4th, with Allison Batts 9th (25:27) as Kate Girard (16th, 26:54) and Madison Todd (27th, 28:13) packed in behind.  The quartet's 1:45:33 aggregate and 3:14 1–4 spread underscored resilient running on an injury-thinned day.
FireHawk Invitational (Sept. 20 | Oakville, Ala.)
Dalton State opened its NAIA-heavy stretch with a gritty pack run at Oakville Indian Mounds. Kylie Gray led the Lady Birds in 23:53.68 (22nd), with Allison Batts (30th) and the Girard–Todd tandem shoring up the middle. The team's 2:10:23 aggregate and 5:41 spread underscored their togetherness early in the campaign.
FSU Invitational (Sept. 26 | Tallahassee, Fla.)
Six days later, the Roadrunners faced one of the Southeast's deepest fields at Apalachee Regional Park, placing 28th of 36 in the 6K championship race. Gray again set the tone (24:20.7, 123rd), followed by Marlene Páez, Kate Girard, Batts, and Madison Todd to complete the scoring five.
UAH Charger Invitational (Oct. 11 | Huntsville, Ala.)
Back in 6K, the Lady Birds finished 21st of 26 in a meet known for fast times at John Hunt Park. Gray clocked 23:27 to lead the way, while Girard (25:14), Todd (25:16), Páez (25:19), and Batts (26:52) rounded out the top five.
NAIA Appalachian Challenge (Oct. 24 | Knoxville, Tenn.)
In their final tune-up, Gray broke 19:11 (19:10.07) for 43rd in a loaded 5K, with Girard and Páez hovering just over 20 minutes. Todd and Batts contributed the final counters as Dalton State sharpened for conference.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP DAY: TOP-4 IN THE SSAC, WITH HARDWARE TO SHOW
On a cool morning in Danville, Ala., Dalton State finished fourth of nine at the SSAC Championship (6K), a solid punch in a league where William Carey (Miss.), UT Southern (Tenn.), and Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.) have traded titles in recent years. Kylie Gray delivered a clutch 9th-place run in 23:27.59, while Batts (19th, 24:53.10) and Todd (20th, 24:53.15) packed up within seconds. Páez (22nd, 25:06.91) and Girard (28th, 25:21.86) sealed the scoring as the Birds landed just shy of the podium.
 
The league's post-meet awards reflected Dalton State's impact. Gray earned Second-Team All-Conference, and Batts claimed a spot on the SSAC All-Freshman Team. In the classroom, Gray and Todd were named to the Athletic Solutions All-Academic Team, and Gray represented the program on the Champions of Character Team.
 
LEADERS WHO SHAPED THE SEASON

• Kylie Gray (So.) – The team's pacesetter and all-conference performer. Notable marks included 23:27 (6K) at both UAH and conference, and 19:10 (5K) at the Appalachian Challenge—form that anchored Dalton State's best days.
• Allison Batts (Fr.) – A consistent scorer whose All-Freshman recognition validated a mature first fall in the uniform, highlighted by top-30 form at FireHawk and steady conference points.
• Madison Todd (Jr.) – The heartbeat of the middle pack; her 24:53 at conference mirrored the group's late-season lift, and her 2024 progression hinted at this year's reliability.
• Marlene Páez (Sr.) & Kate Girard (So.) – Seniors' steadiness and sophomores' strides: Páez's top-25 at conference and Girard's steady 20–26 minute range at major meets often kept Dalton State's scoreline tidy.

CONTEXT & CONTINUITY: BUILDING ON 2024'S BIG FINISH
The 2025 campaign followed a runner-up team finish at the 2024 SSAC Championship, when Giselle Domínguez (3rd, 23:06) and a then-freshman Gray (4th, 23:16) pushed the Roadrunners to second and into individual berths for NAIA Nationals, a competitive standard this year's youthful group aimed to uphold.  
 
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY ABOUT THE ARC
From September to November, Dalton State's profile was clear: a tight, improving pack with a clear front-runner and an emerging freshman scoring piece. The Lady Roadrunner group's 5:41 spread translated by season's end into top-30 conference depth, with a 1–5 scoring line capped by under-26 for the top four at Oakville, evidence of incremental gains against stronger fields.
 
THE TAKEAWAY & WHAT'S NEXT
Dalton State didn't just survive a transition year, it reset its floor. With Gray returning as an all-conference, all-academic leader and Batts already all-freshman, the Lady Roadrunners have re-established a competitive spine. Pair that with Bishop's purposeful scheduling strategy and the program's tradition (five SSAC titles since 2014), and the pieces are in place to climb back onto the podium, and chase national relevance, next Fall.
 
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