Rocky Mount, NC - In a tremendous effort, the Southern Virginia University men's cross country team nearly accomplished a feat that no USA South team had achieved in over a decade: winning four consecutive conference team championships. Unfortunately for the Knights, they came up short of a victory, finishing in second place over the 8,000-meter course with 42 points.
Despite falling short of their goal, there were many highlights for the Knights at the championship meet. Kaelen Ruder threw down a gutsy performance, finishing on top of the podium to continue a five-year streak of Southern Virginia individual champions. Ruder's time of 25:34.1 was nearly ten seconds ahead of the next-best finisher.
Ruder's race strategy was executed to near perfection, surging to the front before the halfway point and gradually extending his advantage the rest of the way. Joseph Hughes and Kedryn Chandler dueled with two Pfeiffer runners who made up the chase pack, jostling for position to secure crucial top spots at the front of the race.
Tayson Farar led the next group of Knights, which included Kenyon Kemp, Garrett Rogers, and Carter Johnson as important scorers for the team. They used a fast and confident start to put themselves in good position before the final stages of the race.
Kaelen Ruder kept the hammer down in the latter stages, eventually cruising to his first career victory to be crowned Champion of the USA South. In the chase pack, Joseph Hughes put together an admirable and inspirational effort but was unable to finish, while Kedryn Chandler earned a hard-fought fourth place.
Chandler's time of 26:18 continues an upward trend for the senior, improving in each meet this season and setting himself up for a big performance at the South Regional meet in two weeks. Along with Kenyon Kemp, this marks their last conference championship meet, having participated in each one since 2021. Chandler leaves behind a rich tradition of winning at the championships, as he's scored points for the Knights in each of their three previous team championships, earning all-conference honors each time. Kemp was an important scorer for team in this year's meet and was the fifth Knight to cross the line.
Tayson Farar was the next finisher for the team, securing 8th place in a time of 27:20.3. Garrett Rogers made a huge surge in the final stretch to finish with Kenyon Kemp and Carter Johnson. The trio occupied 16th, 17th, and 18th to round out the scoring for the Knights.
The men will gear up for the NCAA South Regional in two weeks, held in Clinton, Mississippi at Choctaw Trails. The meet will take place on Saturday, November 16th.
Individual Accolades
Runner of the Year: Kaelen Ruder
First Team All-Conference
Second Team All-Conference
USA South All-Sportsmanship - Carter Johnson
