GREENVILLE, S.C. -- For the third-straight week, the Furman men's cross country team is ranked 23rd in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll.

In the Southeast Region, the Paladin men are ranked fourth, while the Paladin women's team ranks 12th.

Both Furman teams won their 14th-consecutive league titles Saturday at the 2026 Southern Conference Cross Country Championships at the Tryon Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, N.C.

Senior Chris Knight and sophomore Tessa Walter were honored as the SoCon Men's and Women's Runner of the Year, respectively, after winning the league's individual titles, and the Paladins captured both SoCon Newcomer of the Year awards, with freshman Evan Spreitzer claiming the award for the men and freshman Georgy Helmers earning the honor on the women's side.  Furman's Robert Gary was voted the SoCon Men's Coach of the Year for the 13th time.

In the opening race of the day, the Furman men scored a perfect 15 points for their 14th-straight title, a streak which leads the league on the men's side.  The Paladins, who claimed the top six spots in the 8K race, placed seven runners among the top eight.

In the day's second race, the Furman women totaled 19 points for the victory.  The Paladins, who own the nation's longest active conference winning streak on the women's side, extended their run of success by capturing the top three in the race and placing six runners among the top nine.

The Paladin men placed 16th and the women finished 22nd last month in highly ranked fields at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Madison, Wis. 

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.

The Paladins will compete at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships on Nov. 13 in Spartanburg, S.C.

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