COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Furman men's cross country team placed 20th, while the Paladin women took 21st place Friday at the Gans Creek Classic Friday at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo., the site of the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championship.

The 28th-ranked Paladin men scored 520 points for 20th place in the loaded field, which included 14 top-25 teams.  Top-ranked Iowa State won the title with 74 points, while No. 6 Virginia finished second with 107 points.  Thirteenth-ranked Colorado took third place with 126 points.  

Junior Chris Knight led Furman with a time of 23:32.4 to finish 67th 8K race.  Sophomore Ryan Smith was just two spots behind Knight in 69th after crossing the line in 23:32.8, and graduate student Albert Velikonja turned in a time of 23:48.2 for 97th place.  Sophomore Rives Boltwood placed 150th with a time of 24:10.6, while graduate student Bryn Woodall finished 192nd at 24:36.8 to complete the Furman scoring.  Sophomore Colin Eckerman finished the race in 24:51.7 for 208th place.  

The Paladin women scored 520 points for 21st place, taking down No. 24 Lipscomb by ten points.  No. 12 Florida won the race with 102 points, followed by eight-ranked Northern Arizona in second with 126 points.  No. 26 Colorado finished third with 166 points.

Freshman Tessa Walter paced the Paladins with a time of 20:22.5 on the 6K course to place 55th.  Freshman Elly Velasquez crossed the line in 20:38.2 for 76th place, and sophomore Zoie Lamanna placed 124th at 21:024.  Freshman Annie Miller took 136th place at 21:09.9, followed closely by sophomore Rory Sullivan in 139th place at 21:10.9.  Sophomore Jais Ward posted a time of 21:17.4 for 147th place to round out the Furman scorers, and senior Emma Jones finished 180th at 21:37.9.  Sophomore Nysa Males placed 184th with a time of 21:38.8.  

Furman will compete at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Madison, Wis., on October 17.

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Complete Furman Results
Gans Creek Classic 
Men - 20th out of 31 teams - 8K - 562 points
67th Chris Knight 23:32.4
69th Ryan Smith 23:32.8
97th Albert Velikonja 23:48.2
150th Rives Boltwood 24:10.6
192nd Bryn Woodall 24:36.8
208th Colin Eckerman 24:51.7

Women - 21st out of 31 teams - 6K - 520 Points
55th Tessa Walter 20:22.5
76th Elly Velasquez 20:38.2
124th Zoie Lamanna 21:02.4
136th Annie Miller 21:09.9
139th Rory Sullivan 21:10.9
147th Jais Ward 21:17.4
180th Emma Jones 21:37.9
184th Nysa Males 21:38.8