GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Furman women's cross country team is ranked 15th nationally and second in the Southeast Region in the USTFCCCA Week 2 coaches' polls, while the Paladin men are fifth in the region and 40th nationally.
The Paladins opened the 2019 season with team victories at both the Charlotte Opener on Aug. 30 and the Eye Opener Invitational on Sept. 14. Senior Gabbi Jennings took the individual title for the women at both meets, leading Furman to a perfect 15 point victory in each race. Senior Ryan Adams led the men in both outings, claiming first place at both meets.
The Paladin women's squad took the top ten spots in the 5K at the Eye Opener. Jennings took first with a time of 17:10.7. Junior Krissy Gear was second with a time of 17:34.6, followed by senior Emma Grace Hurley in third at 17:47.4. Rookie Lauren Peterson scored a top-five finish, taking fourth at 18:09.5, and senior Grace Dwyer rounded out the Paladin slate of scorers in fifth at 18:11.1.
On the men's side, Adams turned in a time of 24:53.8 to pace the Paladins on the 8K course. The Paladins grabbed the top nine spots, as junior Daniel Bernal finished second with a time of 24:54.6, followed by senior Mason Coppi in third at 25:01.5. Senior Jake Ogden tallied a fourth-place finish with a time of 25:27.7, and sophomore Cameron Ponder finished the Paladin scoring in fifth at 25:34.1.
The Furman women's team, which has captured the last six Southern Conference Championships, was ranked seventh nationally in the FloTrack preseason poll. The Paladins return their top six competitors from last year's NCAA squad, including senior Savannah Carnahan, who earned an All-American citation after placing 20th at the national meet last season.
Along with Carnahan, seniors Hurley and Jennings earned All-Southeast Region accolades last season after helping the Paladins to a second-place finish at the region meet. Senior Riley Burr, Gear, and sophomore Emma Kuntz, all members of the 2018 All-Southern Conference team who recorded top-10 finishes at last year's league meet, round out the Furman NCAA squad returnees.
The Paladin men's team, which also is the six-time defending league champion, returns seven of its top eight runners from last season. Furman boasts the previous two SoCon Freshmen of the Year in Bernal (2017) and Ponder (2018).
Coppi and Adams return after placing fourth and fifth, respectively, a year ago at the SoCon Championships. Junior Trenton Mandato and Ogden also scored top-10 finishes at the league meet in 2018. Adams, who finished eighth at the 2018 NCAA Southeast Region Championships, and Bernal, who turned in an 18th-place finish at the region meet, were named to the all-region team.
The Paladins will compete at the Queen City Invitational in Charlotte on Sept. 27 and at the Oregon Cross Country Invitational in Eugene on Sept. 28.