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The Southern ConferencePublished: 11/1/2024, Last updated: 11/1/2024
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The 2024 SoCon Cross Country Championships set for Saturday

Furman men and women seeking 12th straight titles

SPARTANBURG, S.C.The 2024 Southern Conference Cross Country Championships will take place Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Furman Golf Course in Greenville, South Carolina. Furman is hosting the championships for the first time since 2015. 

The men’s 8K race begins at 10 a.m. ET, and the women’s 5K will follow at 10:45 a.m. ET. At the conclusion of the women’s race, there will be an awards ceremony to recognize the top teams and individual runners. 

Furman’s men’s and women’s squads are both the 11-time defending champions of the event. The Paladins claimed the 2023 team titles at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville, North Carolina, with Dylan Schubert earning the men’s individual title and Abigail Robertson winning the women’s race, both earning Runner of the Year honors. 

Paladin coach Robert Gary was named the SoCon Coach of the Year for the 11th straight year on the women’s side after Furman won their 11th straight title.  

ETSU’s George Watts and Furman’s Gary were named men’s SoCon Co-Coaches of the Year. The Paladins won their 11th straight team title. The Bucs finished second for the third straight season. Furman and ETSU were the only member schools to roster selections on the men’s 2023 All-SoCon First Team.   

Furman’s men, who are ranked 23rd in the latest USTFCCCA poll, are seeking to win their 12th straight men’s titles. The Paladin women, who are ranked No. 20 in the latest USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, own the longest streak of women’s titles in league history and are seeking their 12th straight.  

The Furman women have turned in eight of the top 10 5K times this season. 

Chattanooga’s Lesley Boyd owns the top 5K time in the league this season at 17:01.03, which she accomplished at the Louisville Cross Country Classic in Louisville, KY on Oct. 5. Furman’s Madelyn Cadeau is second with her 17:05.37 effort at the Royals Challenge in Charlotte, N.C. on Oct. 11. Boyd and Cadeau each received a SoCon Runner of the Week honor this season. 

The Furman men have turned in the top seven 8K times this season with Carson Williams claiming the top time of 23:07.80. Williams was named the SoCon runner of the Week three times this season, becoming the sixth men’s runner to be selected three or more times.  

The remaining three top 10 times are owned by Mercer’s Yianni Pothoulakis and Buck Ledford and Western Carolina’s Drew Zink.  

Furman’s Williams, defending SoCon champion Dylan Schubert, and Chris Knight are the only three SoCon runners to have posted sub-24-minute 8K times this season.  

Admission to the 2024 Southern Conference Cross Country Championship is free. Visit the SoCon Cross Country Championships page for live results, photos and more from the championship.