TALLAHASSEE, FLA. -- Freshman Bethany Graham earned All-American accolades Saturday at the 2021 NCAA Cross Country Championships Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla., while the Paladin men's team placed 31st.
Graham, who earned the sixth cross country All-American citation in the history of the Paladin women's program, turned in a time of 19:57.6 on the 6K course to place 40th. The 2021 SoCon Women's Runner of the Year, she won the individual title at last month's league championship meet and placed fifth at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships to qualify as an individual for Saturday's race. Graham opened the season with an individual victory at the Furman Invitational and went on to lead the Paladins in each of the women's meets, tallying four top-10 finishes and five top-15 finishes along the way.
On the men's side, senior Daniel Bernal paced the Paladins with a time of 30:07.5 on the 10K course, placing 96th. Top-ranked Northern Arizona won the men's national title with 92 points, while No. 6 Iowa State was second with 137 points. Third-ranked Oklahoma State finished third with 186 points.
Freshman Dylan Schubert placed 111th with a time of 30:15.6, while senior Noah Dolhare turned in a time of 30:57.5 for 177th place. Senior Aaron Wier was 192nd at 31:05.3, and senior Cameron Ponder finished 236th with a time of 32:14.1. Freshman Carson Williams crossed the line in 32:48.3 for 244th place.
The Paladin men, who, along with the women's team, won their ninth-straight Southern Conference title in 2021, made their third-consecutive and eighth-overall trip to the national championship meet. The Paladins placed 12th at the national meet in 1965 and posted a 13th-place finish in 2015. Before Saturday's meet, Furman most recently appeared at the national championships in 2020, when the Paladins finished 24th.
Complete Furman Results
2021 NCAA Cross Country Championships
Women's 6K
40th Bethany Graham 19:57.6
Men's 10K
96th Daniel Bernal 30:07.5
111th Dylan Schubert 30:15.6
177th Noah Dolhare 30:57.5
192nd Aaron Wier 31:05.3
236th Cameron Ponder 32:14.1
244th Carson Williams 32:48.3
