MILL SPRINGS, N.C. --- The Chattanooga women took third Saturday morning at the Southern Conference Cross Country Championships held at the Tryon Equestrian Center while the men finished fourth. Maddie Wheatcroft earned All-Conference First Team honors while Leah Boyd Mitchell and Jack Martin were both named to the Second Team.
 
Wheatcroft placed fourth overall with a time of 17:26.8 on the 5-kilometer course to earn First Team honors. Boyd Mitchell was 13^th overall with a time of 18:01.9 to earn a spot on the Second Team. Freshmen Liv Gould (18:29.5) and Bella King (18:36.4) were the next two runners to finish for Chattanooga with Gould placing 19^th and King two spots behind. Lola Baker was the Mocs fifth scoring runner to place with a time of 18:50.8 in the 29^th position.
 
Furman claimed the top two individual spots to lead the Paladins to their 13^th Southern Conference title with 23 points. Mercer was second with 68 points followed by the Mocs with 82. Western Carolina was third with 123 points and Samford took fifth at 129.
 
Martin led the men on the pitch, placing eighth overall, finishing behind a slew of Furman runners with a time of 24:44.6 on the 8-kilometer course. Derek Mitchell placed 16^th overall with a time of 25:42.3. Ian Etheridge ran the course in a time of 25:51.3, placing 19^th. Riley Hanson was Chattanooga's fourth runner to finish, placing 24^th with a time of 25:59.5 and Andrew Moore was the final scoring runner for the Mocs with a time of 26:50.6.
 
Furman's men also tallied their 13^th SoCon title with 20 points. ETSU's Jason Bowers claimed the individual title to lead the Bucs to second with 85 points. UNC Greensboro edged out the Mocs at the end placing third with 104 points and the Mocs fourth with 105 points.
 
The SoCon Championships marked the first time the meet was held at Tryon, offering a new challenge for all competitors. The Mocs now look ahead to the NCAA South Regional Championships later this month in Huntsville, Ala.
 
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WOMEN'S TEAM RESULTS
1.Furman 23  
2.Mercer 68 
3.Chattanooga 82 
4.Western Carolina 123 
5. Samford 129  
6. ETSU 140  
7. VMI 206 
8. UNCG 212 
9.Wofford 244 
10. The Citadel 300 
 
2025 Southern Conference Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year  
Tessa Walter, Furman 
 
2025 Southern Conference Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Year 
Tessa Walter, Furman 
 
2025 Southern Conference Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year 
Rita Gary, Furman 
 
2025 Southern Conference Women's Cross Country Pinnacle Award Winner 
Emma Jones, Furman 
 
First Team All-Conference 
Tessa Walter, Furman  
Nysa Males, Furman  
Mary Grace Parker, Mercer 
Maddie Wheatcroft, Chattanooga  
Rory Sullivan, Furman  
Felicity Hamilton, Samford  
Zoie Lamanna, Furman 
 
Second Team All-Conference 
Jais Ward, Furman  
Annie Miller, Furman  
Nichole Harris, Mercer 
Katherine Bannigan, Furman  
Emma Jones, Furman  
Leah Boyd, Chattanooga 
Sophie Beach, ETSU  
 
All-Freshman Team 
Tessa Walter, Furman  
Nysa Males, Furman 
Mary Grace Parker, Mercer 
Rory Sullivan, Furman  
Zoie Lamanna, Furman  
Jais Ward, Furman  
Annie Miller, Furman 
 
MEN'S TEAM RESULTS
1.Furman 20 
2.ETSU 85 
3.UNCG 104 
4. Chattanooga 105 
5.Samford 115 
6.Mercer 129 
7. Western Carolina 157 
8. VMI 231 
9.The Citadel 273 
10.Wofford 288 
 
2025 Southern Conference Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year  
Jason Bowers, ETSU  
 
2025 Southern Conference Men's Cross Country Freshman of the Year 
Luke Hühn, UNCG 
 
2025 Southern Conference Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year 
Robert Gary, Furman 
 
First Team All-Conference 
Jason Bowers, ETSU  
Albert Velikonja, Furman  
Christopher Knight, Furman  
Bryn Woodall, Furman  
Luke Taylor, Furman  
Rives Boltwood, Furman  
Matteo Tonnos, Furman 
 
Second Team All-Conference 
Jackson Martin, Chattanooga 
Colton Kempney, Furman  
Chance Underwood, ETSU  
Tripp Roemer, Furman  
Luke Hühn, UNCG  
David Brown, Samford 
William Jordan, Samford 
 
All-Freshman Team 
Rives Boltwood, Furman  
Matteo Tonnos, Furman  
Tripp Roemer, Furman
Luke Huhn, UNCG  
Matthias Peterson, Western Carolina 
Jaleb Saunders, Western Carolina
Eli Clonch, Western Carolina