GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Furman men's cross country team is ranked fifth in the NCAA Southeast Region preseason poll and tied for 30th in the national poll, while the Paladin women's team ranks seventh in the region, according to the preseason U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) rankings.

Both Paladin teams were picked to win their 13th-straight SoCon titles in 2025.  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).

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 opens the 2025 season Friday at the Eye Opener in Spartanburg, S.C.

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