GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Furman women's cross country team is ranked second in the NCAA Southeast Region and 14th in the national poll, while the Paladin men's team ranks sixth in the region, according to the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) rankings.

The Paladin women took down ten ranked teams on September 27 at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, including fourth-ranked Oregon and No. 13 Lipscomb.  Fifth-ranked Washington won the race with 110 points, followed by No. 14 Utah in second with 139 points.  No. 15 Georgetown finished third with 145 points, and tenth-ranked Providence took fourth with 180 points.  Host Wisconsin, which ranks 19th nationally, placed fifth with 182 points, followed by Furman in sixth at 209 points.  Junior Carly Wilkes led Furman with a time of 20:18.4 to finish ninth on the 6K course. 

On the men's side, the Paladins scored 455 points for 21st place in the Nuttycombe's loaded field.  No. 2 BYU won the title with 44 points, while fifth-ranked Iowa State finished second with 108 points.  No. 20 Wake Forest claimed third place with 150 points.  Senior Carson Williams paced Furman with a time of 24:06.1, finishing 39th in the 8K race.

Both Paladin teams captured the team titles at the Furman Invitational on September 14.  Kaylie Armitage led the Furman women with a second-place finish and a time of 20:29.9 on the 6K course, while Williams took the men's individual title with a time of 17:52.2.

The two Paladin teams were picked to win their 12th-straight SoCon titles in 2024.

USTFCCCA Regional Cross Country Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning team strength with current-season results in determining predicted team finishes at the NCAA Regional Championships.

Furman will compete at the Royals Cross Country Challenge in Charlotte, N.C., on October 11.