The 2021 Midwest Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll was released on Wednesday and the Lake Forest women were listed sixth.
Voting is done by the MWC head women's cross country coaches. Each coach votes for the other eight teams in the league in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (eight points for first, seven for second, etc.). Coaches may not vote for their own teams.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no cross country season in 2020-21. The Lake Forest women placed fifth at six of the last seven MWC Championships and were fourth in 2016.
The Foresters' top returning runner is junior Madeline Morland, who finished 25th at the 2019 MWC Championship Meet as a freshman.
James Akita, who became the head coach of the program in February of 2020, will finally begin his first season with the Foresters at the Elmhurst Early Bird Invitational on Friday, September 3. The team will then host the annual Forester Invitational on Friday, September 10, at Foss Park Golf Course in nearby North Chicago, Illinois. Lake Forest will also attend regular season meets hosted by Wheaton College, Lawrence University, and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse before traveling to Ripon, Wisconsin, for the 2021 MWC Championship Meet. The NCAA Division III Midwest Regional will take place in Rock Island, Illinois, two weeks later and the NCAA Division III Championships will be held in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 20.
| PLACE | TEAM (First Place Votes) | POINTS |
| 1 | Grinnell College (6) | 55 |
| 2 | Ripon College (2) | 51 |
| 3t | Cornell College (1) | 47 |
| 3t | Monmouth College | 47 |
| 5 | Lawrence University | 41 |
| 6 | Lake Forest College | 31 |
| 7t | Illinois College | 20 |
| 7t | Beloit College | 20 |
| 9 | Knox College | 12 |