NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Valdosta State cross country team is gearing up to compete in the 2026 Gulf South Conference Cross Country Championships Friday, Nov. 6 at The Hermitage in Nashville, Tenn. They will be one of the 11 conference teams on the course with the men's 8K starting at 9 a.m. ET and the women's 6K at 9:45 a.m. ET.

Having had a strong season in terms of team finishes and individual progress, Valdosta State is looking to take that momentum into the postseason at the conference championship. The men's team is currently ranked No. 10 in the latest USTFCCCA NCAA Division II South Region rankings, the women's team is looking to build on a season that has seen a number of strong performances and personal bests.

Men

The Blazer men enter the conference championship ranked No. 10 in the latest USTFCCCA NCAA Division II South Region rankings. It has been a very good season in terms of both team finishes and individual progress. Valdosta State started the fall with a team win at the VSU Border Clash and five in the top five, followed by a second place finish at the University of Montevallo Falcon Classic and another second place team finish at Twilight at John Hunt.

Nick Waddell has been the leader of the Blazers throughout the season with a first place finish at the Border Clash and top 10 finishes at both the Montevallo Falcon Classic and Twilight at John Hunt. Liam LeBrocq has also been a consistent performer for the team, finishing in the top two for VSU at a number of meets while also picking up GSC Freshman of the Week twice.

At the FSU XC Invitational, Waddell led the Blazers in the 8k with a time of 26:42.8 and LeBrocq finished 27:11.0. At the recent UAH Chargers Invitational a number of Blazers improved on their previous best times including LeBrocq, Toshiya Bass, Hunter Shuler, Mason Brown and Nate Spivey.

The Blazers are looking to take that momentum into Friday's championship race as they go up against the rest of the conference.

Women

The Valdosta State women are off to a good season with a number of solid team finishes and individual improvements. They started off with a second place finish at the VSU Border Clash, then fourth at the Montevallo Falcon Classic and third at Twilight at John Hunt.

Ella Burnett led the Blazers at both the Border Clash and Twilight at John Hunt, finishing fifth individually in each 5K race. Samantha Savinon-Rios was seventh at Montevallo (19:10.8).

As they moved into the 6K, Emma Burnett was VSU's top finisher at both the FSU XC Invitational and the UAH Chargers Invitational. Most recently she ran a personal best of 23:30.6 at UAH. Samantha Savinon-Rios and Alanta Lofton both ran season bests of 25:25.2 and 25:56.1 respectively, with Carly Storie and Ellie Cardozo both running personal bests.

The Blazers are looking to build on their season of progress and take on the conference championship race.

Championship Race Information

The 2026 Gulf South Conference Cross Country Championships will have 11 programs competing for the title: AUM, Christian Brothers, Delta State, Lee, Mississippi Christian, Montevallo, Trevecca Nazarene, UAH, Union, Valdosta State and West Alabama.

Men: 8K at 9 a.m. ET
Women: 6K at 9:45 a.m. ET
Location: The Hermitage | Nashville, Tenn.
Live Results
Live Watch


Stay up to date on all Blazer Athletics news by downloading the Blazer mobile app for exclusive content, gameday notifications, schedules, rosters and more. Fans can also follow @VState_Blazers on Instagram and X and like the Valdosta State Blazers Facebook page.