GREENEVILLE, TN – The UVA Wise men's cross country team capped a historic season with a record-setting performance Saturday at the South Atlantic Conference Championships, hosted by Tusculum University at Kinser Park.
The Cavaliers placed fifth out of 12 teams, marking their highest conference finish since joining the South Atlantic Conference. The meet was won by Wingate University.
Senior
Jonah Adams led the Cavaliers with a 21st-place finish in 27:32.23, earning Third Team All-Conference honors. Adams becomes the first Highland Cavalier to receive All-Conference recognition since UVA Wise joined the SAC.
Freshman
Dylan Colander continued his breakout season with a 31st-place finish in 28:06.73, ranking as the fifth-fastest freshman in the race and securing a spot on the SAC All-Freshman Team. He joins Adams as just the second Cavalier ever to earn All-Freshman honors (Adams first did so in 2022).
Junior
Chad Douglas earned the prestigious SAC Elite 23 Award, presented to the top GPA among all male cross country student-athletes in the conference.
Rounding out the Cavalier lineup were sophomore
Dorian Almer (29:06.88, 46th), freshman
Patton Shortt (29:16.10, 50th), and freshman
Caleb Ghammashi (30:14.65, 68th), giving UVA Wise a deep, consistent team performance on a challenging course.
UP NEXT
The Cavaliers will now turn their attention to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championship, which will be held on Saturday, November 8, at Wingate University in Wingate, N.C. The meet will feature top teams and individuals from across the region competing for a chance to qualify for the NCAA National Championships.
UVA Wise Men's Results – SAC Championships (8K)
Team Finish: 5th of 12 – Highest SAC Finish in Program History
