The Troy University men’s and women’s cross country teams ended their 2025 seasons at the Sun Belt Conference Championships, which took place Friday morning at Graham Creek Nature Preserve in Foley, Alabama.
Head coach Brian Cunningham commented on the team’s performance: “I am really pleased to come away with so many personal records on the day. It is hard to be upset when people run faster than they ever have. Obviously, none of us are satisfied with the team’s score, but we made good progress on the season. Now we’ll heal up and get ready for track season.”
The men’s team finished ninth overall with 204 points. Sophomore Lane Watson led Troy in the men’s 8K race, placing 22nd with a personal best time of 25:05.69. Junior Keith Warner followed in 28th place at 25:15.55, also a personal best. Caden Blackman was third among Troy runners at 25:43.84. Gavan Baxley and Ethan Newsome completed Troy’s top five finishers, each achieving personal bests.
Appalachian State won the men’s team title by scoring 32 points and placing all five of its top runners in the top ten.
On the women’s side, Troy placed 13th out of 13 teams with a total of 361 points. Senior Makenna Calbert was the team’s fastest runner, finishing her career by taking 52nd place with a time of 18:21.40. Sophomore Arianna Elder was next for Troy at 19:03.00, followed by junior Lucy Turley at 19:17.90. Abigail Carr and Aisley McMeen rounded out Troy’s top five finishers; Carr achieved a personal best during her run.
Appalachian State also secured the women’s team title with a score of 77 points, ahead of Southern Miss and Texas State.
