Knights run the 2024 NAIA Appalachian Challenge

The Knights faced some of the toughest competition in the NAIA on Friday morning in Knoxville, TN, taking on No. 1 Milligan and No. 13 University of the Cumberlands. These races wrapped up the regular season, setting the stage for the upcoming NCCAA Nationals on November 15.

James Stanger led the way for the Knights, crossing the finish line in 27:29. This not only marked a personal record for him, beating his previous best by over 30 seconds but also established the fastest time recorded in school history in over three years. Following closely was Cody Brown, finishing in 27:43. Teammate Machi Davidson completed the race in 30:46, running 1:30 faster than his previous race.

On the women's side, Sallie Robbins achieved her season-best 5k time of 23:02, improving her personal record by 20 seconds.

With both the men's and women's teams now focused on the NCCAA National Championship in Warsaw, Indiana, this marks a significant moment for the program as it will be the first time in three years that any Knight has competed at the national level for cross country.