Highlighted by new faces, the Emory University women's cross country team experienced its most successful season since 1997, finishing eighth at the NCAA National Championship meets. 

The Eagles kicked off their season, easing into the year with a 5k race at the Stan Sims Opener. The Eagles finished fourth, but received a glimpse of what may come with a pair of top 15 finishes from University of Arizona transfer Brigid Hanley and junior Liesl Scherrer. The women's team went on to win the Converse Kickoff, the Berry College Invitational, and the Rowan University Border Battle. The Eagles also finished tied for first in the NCAA South Region Championship, having three runners finish in the top five, but ultimately fell to Lynchburg in the tiebreaker. 

However, the NCAA Selection Committee granted the Eagles an at-large bid and the Eagles were sure to make the most of the opportunity. The Eagles raced to an eighth-place finish at the event, with two newcomers leading the way as Hanley and freshman Elizabeth Csikai earned All-America status with eighth-place and 22nd place overall finishes at the event. The performance was tied for the second-best in program history at the NCAA National Championships, behind the 1997 team's seventh-place finish and tying the 1981 team's performance. 

With the departure of legendary runner Annika Urban, Hanley slotted in seamlessly to take over in a leadership role while also serving as the team's most dominant runner. The University of Arizona transfer made waves early, turning in two top-five finishes and an individual victory in her first three races at the 6k distance. Hanley's individual victory came at the Rowan University Border Battle, where she finished nine seconds ahead of the next closest runner and helped boost the Eagles to a first-place team finish. Hanley capped off her year with three straight dominant performances. She came in third-place at the UAA Championships, second-place at the NCAA South Region Championships, and eighth-place at the NCAA National Championships. Hanley's eighth place finish at the National Championships was the third-best in program history, behind just Annika Urban's sixth-place finish in 2022 and Bista Beasley's third-place finish in 1997. Hanley finished the season bringing home All-America, All-Region, and First-Team All-UAA honors. 

Another newcomer for the Eagles made a major impact late in the season, with Csikai making the most of her rookie season, earning All-America and All-Region acclaim. Csikai did not run in 2023 until the NCAA South Region Championship. The freshman made sure to put the cross country world on notice, running to a third-place individual finish to earn All-Region honors. Csikai carried the momentum from her first collegiate race into the NCAA National Championships and did not disappoint, finishing 22nd overall in the most competitive field in the country. With the performance, she became the first freshman in program history to earn All-America status. Csikai's late-season heroics in just her rookie season gave Emory a glimpse of what she's capable of in the years to come. 

Scherrer followed up her strong sophomore campaign with a season in which she earned All-Region honors as well as Second-Team All-UAA status. Scherrer competed in six meets for Emory in 2023, highlighted by a career-best time of 21:36.8 at the Rowan Border Battle where she finished second-overall in a 263-runner field to help the Eagles finish first as a team at the meet. The junior also finished 10th overall at the UAA Championships, improving upon her 43rd place finish from a year earlier at the meet. She was one of three Eagles to finish in the top-five at the NCAA South Regional, finishing fourth to boost the Eagles to a second-place finish. Scherrer capped her season with a 51st place finish at the NCAA Championships. 

The Eagles concluded their season bringing home multiple All-America awards for the first time in their history, having six runners receive all-region acclaim, and two bring home All-UAA awards. 12 Eagles received UAA Fall All-Academic honors as well. 

The Eagles earned the following honors for the 2023 season.