Buena Vista, VA - After a two-year hiatus, the USA South women's cross country crown returned to Southern Virginia University, putting an exclamation point on a season full of individual and team milestones.
In 2024, not only did the women's cross country team won their second conference championship in four years, they placed seven runners in all-conference positions, and had two all-region performers. The team was boosted by a strong, experienced group of athletes whom Head Coach Kyle Chandler credits for the team's improvement.
"I've been impressed with this core group, not just this season, but going back to last cross country season. I saw significant maturation in how they approached key workouts and training, which translated into better racing."
The Knights entered the season with a bitter taste after finishing second at the conference meet for the last two seasons, defeated by rival Meredith both times. The core of Heidi Barton, Kamryn Bradshaw, Elizabeth Dalebout, McKenzie Ball, Emmalee Gabrylczyk, and Madeline Creasy all returned for another crack at it.
Coupled with several new additions, including the return of 2021 First Team All-Conference performer Bayleigh Redd, who returned from serving as a full-time missionary, the Knights were poised for a big season.
For their first big test of the season, the team traveled to Terre Haute, Indiana, to compete on the fabled LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course and run against the nation's best. Collectively, they ran well and carried that momentum through the remainder of the regular season.
At the USA South Championship meet, hosted on the campus of North Carolina Wesleyan, the Knights dominated throughout, claiming seven of the top 14 places. Barton and Redd's second and third place finishes were just seconds off the winner, making them the highest-placed duo in program history at the conference meet.
Bradshaw and Dalebout, competing in their fourth conference championship, finished sixth and seventh, respectively. After the season, Dalebout praised the support her teammates had for one another.
"What impressed me most about this season is that, as a team, we were able to move as a pack for almost all of the races and workouts. We were able to support each other throughout the season, and not just one runner would take the lead."
This year's squad was perhaps the most experienced team that the Knights have fielded in their history, and their savviness on the course was on full display. It was a joy for Coach Chandler and the rest of his coaching staff to witness. "As a relatively new Division lll program and only my fifth season coaching here, we are now beginning to see individuals progress through the program all four years. It's been special to coach five of them through that cycle to this year," stated Chandler.
The athletes who have been a part of that cycle are Heidi Barton, Kamryn Bradshaw, Elizabeth Dalebout, along with Kedryn Chandler and Kenyon Kemp on the men's side. This group of seniors has been crucial to the winningest era in program history.
"The highlight of the season was winning the conference championship one last time before graduation. It was nice to celebrate my final cross country season with the teammates I've had since freshman year," shared Dalebout. With all of the hardware that Knights brought home this season, the same would seem to ring true for the rest of the group after a year to remember.
This year's team became the second in program history to finish with four athletes under 24 minutes in a meet and the third to place two runners in All-Region positions. Heidi Barton and Bayleigh Redd earned First Team All-Conference, while Kamryn Bradshaw and Elizabeth Dalebout were Second Team-All-Conference. McKenzie Ball, Emmalee Gabrylczyk, and Jasmine De Souza, the Knights' top newcomer, rounded out the top seven by earning All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition.
The Knights will be on the hunt for continued success during the track and field season in the coming weeks. For the most up-to-date details and information on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knightxctf on Instagram.
