GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Furman men's and women's cross country teams have been picked to win their 13th-straight Southern Conference cross country crowns in preseason balloting conducted by the league's ten head coaches, who could not vote for their own teams.
Both Paladin squads received all nine possible first place votes for a total of 81 points. Samford was picked to finish second on the women's side, followed by Chattanooga in third. For the men, Western Carolina was slated in second place, while Samford was picked third.
With the win at the 2024 SoCon Cross Country Championship on their home course, the Furman men, who claimed seven of the top ten individual spots, extended the league record for consecutive SoCon team titles—a distinction the Paladins claimed in 2023. The Furman women captured five of the top 10 individual spots, extending their league record with a 12th-straight team title, the nation's longest active conference winning streak on the women's side.
The Furman women return 14 competitors from last year's squad. The Paladins have won the last five SoCon Female Runners of the Year, with senior Carly Wilkes claiming the award last season, Bethany Graham taking the award in both 2021 and 2022, and Abigail Robertson earning the honor in 2023. Five of Furman's competitors from last year's SoCon meet return in 2025, including Wilkes and senior Jenna Mulhern, who finished third in 2024.
Fifteen men return for the Paladin men's team, including three who competed at the 2024 league championship meet. Dylan Schubert, who graduated in the spring and earned 2024-25 SoCon Male Athlete of the Year accolades, won the individual title for the third-consecutive year last season. Junior Chris Knight placed third, while sophomore Colin Eckerman led all freshmen in fifth place a year ago. The Furman men have captured the last nine SoCon Runner of the Year Awards: Frank Lara (2016), Aaron Templeton (2017 & 2018), Ryan Adams (2019), Daniel Bernal (2020), Cameron Ponder (2021), and Schubert (2022, 2023, 2024).
Furman boasts seven out of the last nine SoCon Men's Freshmen of the Year in Adams (2016), Bernal (2017), Cameron Ponder (2018), David Ahlmeyer (2019), Andrew Hammel (2020), Gabe Montague (2021), and Colin Eckerman (2024). The Paladins have claimed three of the last five SoCon Women's Freshmen of the Year by Madelynne Cadeau (2020), Kaylie Armitage (2021), and Wilkes (2022).
The Paladins open the 2025 season August 29 at the Eye Opener in Spartanburg, S.C.
2025 Southern Conference Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Points
1. Furman (9) 81
2. Western Carolina (1) - 65
3. Samford - 62
4. UNC Greensboro - 56
5. Mercer - 45
6. ETSU - 42
7. Chattanooga - 41
8. VMI - 28
9. Wofford - 19
10. The Citadel - 11
2025 Southern Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Points
1. Furman (9) 81
2. Samford (1) - 71
3. Chattanooga - 63
4. ETSU - 56
5. Mercer - 46
6. Western Carolina - 44
7. UNC Greensboro - 36
8. VMI - 23
9. Wofford - 19
10. The Citadel - 11
