SPARTANBURG, SC – Furman sophomore Tessa Walter and Furman senior Chris Knight were named SoCon Cross Country Athletes of the Week for races held between September 23-29.
 
Walter (Colorado Springs, CO) finished 10^th at the 2026 Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational in Chicago Friday, running a time of 19:42.67 over the 6K course. The time was more than 30 seconds faster than her previous personal best and helped the Paladins to a seventh-place team finish in a stacked field that included several top-25 teams. Furman outran several Power 4 conference teams, including Michigan, Arizona, and Wisconsin.
 
Knight (Signal Mountain, TN) was impressive as well in the Windy City, finishing third with a time of 22:48.04 (8K) in the men’s race. He also established a new personal record by nearly 60 seconds. Furman took fourth in the team standings, ahead of top-25 foes Ole Miss, Wisconsin, and Washington.
 
The awards are the second of the season for both Walter and Knight. Furman will race next on October 9 at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Madison, WI, and at the Royals Cross Country Challenge in nearby Charlotte, NC.
 
2026-27 SoCon Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Sep 9 – Mackenzie Armstrong, So., ETSU (Wheaton, IL)
Sep 16 – Tessa Walter, So., Furman (Colorado Springs, CO)
Sep 23 – Nikki Harris, Gr., Mercer (Ocala, FL)
Sep 30 – Tessa Walter, So. Furman (Colorado Springs, CO)
 
2026-27 SoCon Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Sep 9 – Will Poelker, So., Mercer (St. Louis, MO)
Sep 16 – Chris Knight, Sr., Furman (Signal Mountain, TN)
Sep 23 – Garrett Hawkins, So., ETSU (Knoxville, TN)
Sep 30 – Chris Knight, Sr., Furman (Signal Mountain, TN)