KERNERSVILLE, N.C. -- Furman's cross country dominance continued Friday as the Paladins swept the men's and women's team titles for the 11th-consecutive year at the 2023 Southern Conference Cross Country Championships at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville, N.C.

Furman claimed both individual titles, with seniors Abigail Robertson and Dylan Schubert winning the women's 5K race and men's 8K race, respectively.  Schubert's win marked the eight-straight individual title for the Paladins on the men's side.  Paladin head coach Robert Gary was voted the SoCon Women's Coach of the Year for the 11th-straight year and received the award on the men's side for the  tenth time. 

In the opening race of the day, the 24th-ranked Furman women won their 11th title, scoring 20 points for the victory.  The Paladins, who already owned the longest streak of women's titles in league history, extended their streak by defeating second-place Samford, who scored 71 points, and Chattanooga, who took third with 74 points.  Furman, which now owns the longest active conference winning streak in the nation on the women's side, clinched the top two spots in the race and placed eight runners among the top 10.

Robertson, who has finished among the top two at three of the last four league championship meets, set a new course record with a time of 16:41.7 to earn Furman's third-straight SoCon Women's Runner of the Year award.  Sophomore Carly Wilkes placed second with a time of 16:45.8, and junior Kaylie Armitage took fourth place at 16:52.3.  

Furman then went 6-7-8-9-10, as sophomore Jenna Mulhern, who earned the SoCon Pinnacle Award, which is given to the athlete with the highest GPA on the championship-winning team, crossed the line in 17:06.6 to finish sixth, followed by the Paladins' final scorer, junior Sierra Bower in seventh at 17:07.3.  Senior Nicole Matysik was eighth at 17:10.7, followed by sophomore Emma Jones in ninth at 17:20.1, and senior Madelynne Cadeau in tenth at 17:23.3.  Senior Megan Marvin placed 13th with a time of 17:42.8 to complete the Paladin squad. 

All nine of the Paladin women were honored with All-SoCon citations, as Robertson, Wilkes, Armitage, Mulhern, and Bower earned spots on the first team, and Matysik, Jones, Cadeau, and Marvin joined them on the second team.  

In the day's second race, the 12th-ranked Furman men's team scored 22 points for the win, becoming the first SoCon team to win 11-straight men's titles.  ETSU finished second with 47 points, and Mercer was third with 112 points. 

Schubert crossed the line in 23:33.7 for a 12-second victory over the field, earning SoCon Men's Runner of the Year accolades for the second-consecutive year.  Paladin runners took three of the top four positions in the race and six of the top-10 spots, as seniors Cameron Ponder and Carson Williams finished back to back in third and fourth place, respectively.  Ponder posted a time of 24:02.0, followed by Williams at 24:07.8.  Junior Nick Goldstein placed sixth with a time of 24:52.2 to join Schubert, Ponder, and Williams on the All-SoCon first team.  

Redshirt Luke Taylor, the SoCon Pinnacle Award winner on the men's side, completed the Paladin scoring in eighth place at 24:59.2, and junior Matthew Smith finished tenth with a time of 25:06.8.  Senior David Ahlmeyer turned in a time of 25:20.9 for 12th place.  Taylor, Smith, and Ahlmeyer were all honored as members of the All-SoCon second team, while Taylor and Brayden Seymour, who finished 16th at 25:32.0, were named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team.  Junior Casey Burr placed 41st at 26:42.7.

"It's hard to think back over our time at Furman and not remember all the great student-athletes that have come through our program over the time of the streak," said Gary after the championships.  "We are very proud of both program and our whole staff.  Coach Rita and Coach Lange really had the women ready to roll and had a great spread even without Bethany.  This was a very tough environment on a warm day on a challenging course.  Both sides are excited for the next couple weeks of NCAA Championship races."

The Paladins will compete at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships on November 10 in Spartanburg, S.C.

Furman Men's Individual Results

1 Dylan Schubert 23:33.7

3 Cameron Ponder 24:02.0

4 Carson Williams 24:07.8

6 Nick Goldstein 24:52.2

8 Luke Taylor 24:59.2

10 Matthew Smith 25:06.8

12 David Ahlmeyer 25:20.9

16 Brayden Seymour 25:32.0

41 Casey Burr 26:42.7

Furman Women's Individual Results

1 Abigail Robertson 16:41.7

2 Carly Wilkes 16:45.8

4 Kaylie Armitage 16:52.3

6 Jenna Mulhern 17:06.6

7 Sierra Bower 17:07.3

8 Nicole Matysik 17:10.7

9 Emma Jones 17:20.1

10 Madelynne Cadeau 17:27.3

13 Megan Marvin 17:42.8

Men's Results  

Team                           Points  

1. Furman 22

2. ETSU 47

3. Mercer 112

4. Chattanooga 133

5. Samford 145

6. Western Carolina 166

7. UNCG 168

8. VMI 184

9.Citadel 237

10. Wofford 307 

Women's Results  

Team                           Points  

1. Furman                     20  

2. Samford                    71 

3. Chattanooga             75  

4. Mercer                       104  

5. ETSU                         122  

6. UNCG                       185  

7. Wofford                    227  

8. Western Carolina    230 

9. VMI                           238  

10. The Citadel             309  

2023 Southern Conference Men's Cross Country Awards

Runner of the Year 

Dylan Schubert, Furman 

Freshman of the Year  

Kevin Shank, VMI  

Coach of the Year  

Robert Gary, Furman and George Watts, ETSU  

Pinnacle Award  

Luke Taylor, Furman  

All-SoCon First Team

Dylan Schubert, Furman  

Jason Bowers, ETSU

Cameron Ponder, Furman

Carson Williams, Furman

Evan Guzman, ETSU

Nick Goldstein, Furman

Myles Stoots, ETSU

All-SoCon Second Team  

Luke Taylor, Furman

Ethan Long, UNCG

Matthew Smith, Furman

Kevin Shank, VMI

David Ahlmeyer, Furman

Aaron Isbell, Chattanooga

Jackson Martin, Chattanooga

All-Freshman Team 

Luke Taylor, Furman

Kevin Shank, VMI

Jackson Martin, Chattanooga

Brayden Seymour, Furman

Chance Underwood, ETSU

Luke Young, ETSU

Will Jordan, Samford

2023 Southern Conference Women's Cross Country Awards

Runner of the Year  

Abigail Robertson, Furman 

Freshman of the Year  

Adeline Haisch, Samford 

Coach of the Year  

Robert Gary, Furman  

Pinnacle Award  

Jenna Mulhern, Furman  

All-SoCon First Team

Abigail Robertson, Furman 

Carly Wilkes, Furman 

Lesley Green, Chattanooga 

Kaylie Armitage, Furman 

Kamila Soja, Mercer 

Jenna Mulhern, Furman 

Sierra Bower, Furman 

All-SoCon Second Team

Nicole Matysik, Furman 

Emma Jones, Furman 

Madelynne Cadeau, Furman 

Kiera Snyder, ETSU 

Adeline Haisch, Samford 

Megan Marvin, Furman 

Maddie Wheatcroft, Chattanooga 

All-Freshman Team

Adeline Haisch, Samford 

Jillian Sisk, VMI 

Bella Edwards, Samford 

Anna Adams, Samford 

Lola Baker, Chattanooga 

Becca Hinds, Wofford 

Grace Lane, Western Carolina