GREENVILLE, S.C. – Conference Carolinas released its inaugural Women's Flag Football Preseason Poll on Thursday afternoon, featuring Chowan University among the league's 11 competing institutions.

The Hawks embark on their first season under head coach Sherry Lewis, who also begins her inaugural year leading the program. Chowan was selected ninth in the preseason poll, with freshmen Kiara Arguello, Adriana Lightfoot, and Nevaeh Higdon named as the team's Players to Watch.

The Bobcats received 79 points and five first place votes in the poll. Barton College received one first place vote and 73 points in the second spot while Wingate University came in third with 70 points and three first place votes. King University is picked fourth with one first place vote and 66 points while Ferrum College rounded out the top five with 78 points.

Emmanuel University received the final first place vote and 55 points in the sixth slot. The University of Mount Olive (50), Mars Hill University (49), Chowan University (41), Mount St. Mary's University (35) and Erskine College (29) finished the poll.

The inaugural Conference Carolinas Women's Flag Football Championship will be held at Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, North Carolina from Friday, April 17-Sunday, April 19. Four quarterfinal games will be played on Friday before two semifinals on Saturday. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday, April 19 in Durham.

The preseason poll was voted on by the league's head coaches and they can't vote for their own school.
 

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2026 Conference Carolinas
Women's Flag Football Preseason Poll
 

	School	Votes (first place)
1	Lees-McRae	79 (5)
2	Barton	73 (1)
3	Wingate	70 (3)
4	King	66 (1)
5	Ferrum	58
6	Emmanuel	55 (1)
7	Mount Olive	50
8	Mars Hill	49
9	Chowan	41
10	Mount St. Mary's	35
11	Erskine	29

 

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2026 Conference Carolinas Women's Flag Football
Players to Watch

Barton

• Valerie Ange-Betta, Fr., WR/DB, Durham, North Carolina
• Zahnia Long, Fr., WR/DB, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Sawyer Rigdon, Fr., QB, Wilmington, North Carolina

Chowan

• Kiara Arguello, Fr., QB, Carpentersville, Illinois
• Neveah Higdon, Fr., QB, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Adriana Lightfoot, Fr., WR/LB, Williamsburg, Virginia

Emmanuel

• Gwen Carter, Fr., WR/RB/DB, Phoenix, Arizona
• Gianna Brown, Fr., WR/LB, Savannah, Georgia
• Lillian Stephenson, So., QB, Evans, Georgia

Erskine

• Kenzie Horton, Fr., QB, Evans, Georgia
• Gabby Villegas, Fr., WR/S, Lakeland, Florida
• Meliyah Butler, Fr., C, Atlanta, Georgia

Ferrum

• Sam Pitzer, Fr., WR/CB, Loomis, California
• Macy Taylor, Fr., RB/LB, Springfield, Oregon
• Breyana Kimmons, Fr., RB/LB, Sacramento, California

King

• Samantha Lee, Fr., QB, Franklin, Tennessee
• Elizabeth Jones, Fr., WR/S, Roseville, California
• Janelle Duval, Fr., WR/S, Waxhaw, North Carolina

Lees-McRae

• Makenzie Hicks, So., QB, Forsyth, Georgia
• Tami Chatwood, Fr., WR/RUSH, Forsyth, Georgia
• Natalia Hernández de León, So., WR/DB, Panama City, Panama

Mars Hill

• Mary Lou Tsunis, Fr., WR, Henderson, Nevada
• Jade Perez, Fr., QB/WR, Longwood, Florida
• Miya Blake, Sr., C, Evans, Georgia

Mount Olive

• Alivia Conticello, Fr., WR/RUSH, Auburndale, Florida (All-County Flag Football)
• Ji'Kayla Marshall, Fr., WR/DB, Macon, Georgia
• ?Jaylianie Lucas, Fr., QB, Auburndale, Florida (2023 Ledger's Girl Flag Football Player of the Year)

Mount St. Mary's

• Alyssa Lane, Fr., S/DB/WR, Dunkirk, Maryland (Five-time champion and two-time team captain, 2025 PSFCA Big 33 Athlete, All-2025, WNFC Varsity Top 100 Player)
• Tabitha Newman, Fr., WR/LB, Rockville, Maryland (Captain of Flag Football as a senior, Dual-sport athlete with track, Rockville record holder for track events)
• Arieon Stokes, Fr., WR/CB, Baltimore, Maryland (Team Captain in multiple sports [flag, cross country/track, basketball], made it to states in numerous sports)

Wingate

• Madison Jones, So., DB/WR, Highlands Ranch, Colorado (KCAC Honorable Mention SB)
• Evonne Bruestle, So., RUSH/WR, Las Vegas, Nevada (KCAC Honorable Mention RUSH)
• Addison Cadwell, So., WR/DB, Arvada, Colorado (KCAC Honorable Mention WR)