GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman's cross country dominance continued Saturday as the Paladins swept the men's and women's team titles for the 12th-consecutive year at the 2024 Southern Conference Cross Country Championships at the Furman University Golf Course in Greenville, S.C.

The Paladins captured both individual titles, with senior Dylan Schubert and junior Carly Wilkes winning the men's 8K race and women's 5K race, respectively, and establishing new course records in each event.  Schubert's win, his third-consecutive individual SoCon title, marked the ninth-straight individual title for the Paladins on the men's side.  Furman's Rita Gary was voted the SoCon Women's Coach of the Year, marking the 12th-straight year the Paladins have won the award, while Robert Gary received the award on the men's side for the 11th time. 

In the opening race of the day, the 23rd-ranked Furman men's team scored a perfect 15 points for their 12th-straight title, a streak which leads the league on the men's side.  Western Carolina finished second with 94 points, and UNC Greensboro was third with 108 points. 

Schubert crossed the line in 23:40.1, establishing a new course record and earning SoCon Men's Runner of the Year accolades for the third-straight year.  Paladin runners took the top six spots in the race and seven of the top eight spots, with senior Carson Williams and sophomore Chris Knight finishing back to back in second and third place, respectively.  Williams posted a time of 24:07.7, followed by Knight at 24:07.9.  

Fifth-year student Evan Guzman placed fourth with a time of 24:21.0 and freshman Colin Eckerman was honored as the SoCon Freshman of the Year after finishing fifth at 24:21.2.  Senior Nick Goldstein took sixth with a time of 24:46.7 to join to join Schubert, Williams, and Guzman on the All-SoCon first team.  

Junior Luke Taylor earned the SoCon's Knight Commission Pinnacle Award, which is given to the athlete with the highest GPA on the championship-winning team, for the second-straight year after crossing the line in 25:04.3 for eighth place, and senior Foster Wilfong turned in a time of 25:23.0 to finish 14th.  Fifth-year student Ethan Domitrovich completed the Paladin slate with a 15th-place finish at 25:23.5.  Taylor and Wilfong were honored as members of the All-SoCon second team, and Eckerman was named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team.  

In the day's second race, the 20th-ranked Furman women won their 12th title, recording 19 points for the victory.  The Paladins, who own the longest streak of women's titles in league history, extended their streak by defeating second-place Samford, who scored 50 points, and Chattanooga, who took third with 81 points.  Furman clinched the top three spots in the race and placed five runners among the top eight.

Wilkes paced Furman with a course-record time of 16:09.7 to earn Furman's fourth-straight SoCon Women's Runner of the Year award.  Senior Kaylie Armitage placed second with a time of 16:15.3, and junior Jenna Mulhern, who earned the SoCon's Knight Commission Pinnacle Award on the women's side for the second-consecutive year, took third place at 16:22.7.  Senior Sierra Bower finished fifth with a time of 16:45.4 to earn a spot on the All-SoCon first time, along with Wilkes, Armitage, and Mulhern.

Furman placed four women on the All-SoCon second team, including senior Megan Marvin, who finished eighth at 17:10.8, and senior Nicole Matysik, who turned in an 11th-place finish at 17:16.2.  Junior Emma Jones and senior Madelynne Cadeau also earned spots on the second team, with Jones finished 13th with a time of 17:17.9 and Cadeau taking 14th at 17:26.4.  Junior Clair Garrett crossed the line in 18:21.2 for 29th place.  

The Paladins will compete at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships on Nov. 15 in Rock Hill, S.C.

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

2024 SoCon Cross Country Championships  
Men's Results
Team                           Points    
1. Furman           15             
2. Western Carolina 94 
3. UNCG 108 
4. Samford 116 
5. Chattanooga 118  
6. Mercer    125   
7. VMI 143 
8. ETSU 231  
9. Wofford 284  
10. Citadel 290 

Women's Results
Team                           Points    
1. Furman                     19 
2. Samford                    50 
3. Chattanooga             81 
4. ETSU 130 
5. Mercer                        97 
6. Western Carolina   202                 
7. UNCG                     202 
8. VMI      231 
9. Wofford                        243  
10. The Citadel             289 

Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year
Dylan Schubert, Furman    

Freshman of the Year
Colin Eckerman, Furman  

Coach of the Year
Robert Gary, Furman 

Pinnacle Award
Luke Taylor, Furman    

All-SoCon First Team
Dylan Schubert, Furman 
Carson Williams, Furman 
Christopher Knight, Furman 
Evan Guzman, Furman 
Colin Eckerman, Furman 
Nick Goldstein, Furman  
Jackson Martin, Chattanooga 

All-SoCon Second Team
Luke Taylor, Furman  
Drew Zink, Western Carolina 
Kevin Shank, VMI 
Chase Thurber, Western Carolina 
Colin Keck, UNCG 
Jacob Peters, Mercer 
Foster Wilfong, Furman 

All-Freshman Team
Chris Knight, Furman 
Colin Eckerman, Furman 
Derek Mitchell, Chattanooga 
Logan Ruffner, UNCG 
Arthur Langley, Samford 
Stephen Jones, Samford 
Ian Etheridge, Chattanooga 

Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year
Carly Wilkes, Furman

Freshman of the Year  
Felicity Hamilton, Samford 

Coach of the Year    
Rita Gary, Furman 

Pinnacle Award    
Jenna Mulhern, Furman 

All-SoCon First Team
Carly Wilkes, Furman 
Kaylie Armitage, Furman 
Jenna Mulhern, Furman 
Lesley Boyd, Chattanooga 
Sierra Bower, Furman 
Adeline Haisch, Samford 
Sikenesh Parker, Samford 

All-SoCon Second Team
Megan  Marvin, Furman 
Maddie Wheatcroft, Chattanooga 
Edie Smith, Samford 
Nicole Matysik, Furman 
Katie Keller, Samford 
Emma Jones, Furman 
Madelynne Cadeau, Furman 

All-Freshman Team
Felicity Hamilton, Samford 
Deena Ludtke, ETSU 
Paula Sandoval, Mercer 
Reagan Cooke, Mercer 
Ellie von Herrmann, Chattanooga 
Reagan Gilman, VMI 
Claire Bauer, Mercer