Paladin Cross Country was atop the Southern Conference for the 12th consecutive year as they hoisted the championship trophy at the Furman University Golf Course on Saturday, Nov 2. Furman also swept the individual titles as senior Dylan Schubert won the men’s 8K, and junior Carly Wilkes won the women’s 5K. The men’s and women’s teams hold the longest title streaks in conference history.
In Division I cross country, each team is awarded points based on the finishes of their runners, and the team with the least points wins. On the men’s side, 23rd-ranked Furman scored 15 points, the lowest possible, to win the SoCon title.
Schubert won the race with a time of 23:40.1, setting a new course record. In addition to his third straight individual title, Schubert earned the SoCon Runner of the Year accolade. Rounding out the podium, Furman senior Carson Williams took second with a time of 24:07.7, whilst sophomore Chris Knight finished 24:07.9 and ended the race in third. Furman men’s runners took seven of the top eight spots.
Other accolades for Furman’s men cross country included the 11th consecutive Coach of the Year award for head coach Robert Gary and Freshman of the Year for Colin Eckerman, who finished in fifth place. Junior Luke Taylor was also given the SoCon’s Knight Commission Pinnacle Award, honoring the athlete with the highest GPA on the championship-winning team.
The 20th-ranked Furman women’s cross country also won their 12th straight SoCon championship and scored 19 points. The Paladins took the top three finishes in the race.
Wilkes set a course record, finishing the 5K in 16:09.7 as she took the individual title. She was also tabbed SoCon Runner of the Year, while teammate junior Jenna Mulhern was awarded the SoCon’s Knight Commission Pinnacle Award for women. Mulhern finished in third with a time of 16:22.7, and senior Kaylie Armitage took second, finishing in 16:15.3. Women’s head coach Rita Gary was named the SoCon Coach of the Year for the 12th straight time.
Furman will next travel to Rock Hill, S.C. on Friday, Nov. 15 to run in the NCAA Southeast Region Championships.
Furman Men’s Individual Result
1: Dylan Schubert 23:40.1
2: Carson Williams 24:07.7
3: Chris Knight 24:20.9
4: Evan Guzman 24:21.0
5: Colin Eckerman 24:21.2
6: Nick Goldstein 24:46.7
8: Luke Taylor 25:04.3
14: Foster Wilfong 25:23.0
15: Ethan Domitrovich 25:23.5
Furman Women’s Individual Results
1: Carly Wilkes 16:09.7
2: Kaylie Armitage 16:15.3
3: Jenna Mulhern 16:22.7
5: Sierra Bower 16:45.4
8: Megan Marvin 17:10.8
11: Nicole Matysik 17:16.2
13: Emma Jones 17:17.9
14: Madelynne Cadeau 17:26.4
29: Clair Garrett 18:21.2
