Wingate Captures Men’s National Title, Bulldogs Women Finish Third at NCAA Championships

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate's men captured the 2025 NCAA Division II Men's Cross Country National Championship on Saturday, leading a big day for South Atlantic Conference cross country at the Wayne E. Dannehl National XC Course in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Bulldogs won their second national title in the last three seasons, while the Wingate women delivered a program-best third-place finish. Anderson's men added a top-10 team finish, with Catawba's women placing 17th, and several SAC standouts turned in strong individual performances.

Wingate's men scored 62 points to win the team title, finishing nine points clear of runner-up Adams State. Senior Antonin Saint Peyre led the Bulldogs with a national runner-up finish in 29:41.8. He was joined in the top 25 by teammates Samuel Gilson (ninth), Luca Poppe (15th), Arthur Faroux (20th) and Joaquin Campos (29th) as Wingate locked down the championship. Lars Laros placed 37th and Alex Durant took 46th, giving the Bulldogs seven runners in the top 50. Anderson finished eighth in the team standings with 338 points, led by Elliot Dotson in 45th place. The Trojans' scoring five also included Spain Vaughan (61st), William Cronin (84th), Grayson Gibbons (92nd) and Sean McAdams (108th), with Joey Tindale (126th) and Angel Galan (193rd) rounding out their lineup. Catawba senior James Shue represented the Catawba men as an individual qualifier, finishing 237th.

On the women's side, Wingate delivered the best national finish in program history, taking third with 131 points. The Bulldogs improved on their previous high of fifth in 2021 and followed back-to-back eighth-place national finishes by this year's SAC and Southeast Region champions. Wingate's first four runners earned All-America honors and all five scorers ran personal bests. Freshman twins Abigail and Kiara Bester led the way, placing 18th and 19th with nearly identical 6K times of 20:47.6 and 20:47.9. Junior Evie Brooks finished 25th in 20:52.7, freshman Karlijn Mesman was 36th in 21:02.6, and sophomore Firdaouss Hriche claimed 46th in 21:11.6. Imane Jourji placed 98th and Ona Alonso was 100th as Wingate finished behind only Grand Valley State and Colorado School of Mines and ahead of Adams State and Western Colorado. Catawba finished 17th in the team standings with 468 points, led by senior Madison Clay in 42nd place. She was followed by teammates Hannah Caudill (80th), Natalie Almond (103rd), Morgan Pollard (151st), Charity Davies (232nd) and Emer McGlynn (238th). Anderson junior Kennedy Roush also represented the SAC individually, placing 48th in 21:14.2 to cap the league's women's performances.

Wingate, Catawba and Anderson will now shift their attention from cross country to the indoor track and field season, carrying national-level momentum into December competition.