The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, October 31
Knoxville, Tenn.
9 AM
Ole Miss
vs
SEC Championships
Cross Country Heads to Tennessee for 2025 SEC Championships
10/30/2025 | Cross Country
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Ole Miss men's and women's cross country is set to begin championship season, with both Rebel squads ready to run in the 2025 SEC Cross Country Championships at Tennessee's Cherokee Farms Cross Country Course on Friday morning.
SEC Network begins live coverage at 9 a.m. CT, with the men's championship 8K at 9:08 a.m. CT, followed by the women's championship 6K at 9:53 a.m. CT.
The No. 26 Rebel men are right in the thick of what is sure to be a tight team race for the SEC crown as one of five ranked squads running Friday. Ole Miss was picked to finish third (and received one first-place vote) in the preseason coaches poll back in August behind No. 8 Alabama and unranked Arkansas, while ahead of No. 22 Missouri (fourth), No. 29 Oklahoma (fifth), No. 20 Georgia (eighth) and two others receiving votes in Texas A&M (seventh) and Texas (ninth).
In addition to vying for a conference crown, Ole Miss' men's squad is also looking for another strong team finish to bolster its national resume prior to the NCAA South Regional in two weeks. Crucial to those efforts will be top runners junior Kidus Misgina and senior Toby Gillen.
Misgina has been the Rebel men's low stick in each of his two races so far this fall, his first cross country competitions at Ole Miss since transferring prior to the indoor track season from Florida State. Misgina, who last April dismantled the Ole Miss 10K record outdoors at 28:20.19, was fourth at Missouri's Pre-National Invitational back on Oct. 17 and 11th three weeks earlier at Mizzou's Gans Creek Classic at a 39-second 8K career-best 22:51.8.
Gillen would have finished in a similar place at Gans Creek if not for a late fall in the race, but he bounced back well at Pre-Nats with an 11th-place finish behind Misgina at 23:23.4. Gillen, who concluded a superb All-American track career for Ole Miss this past spring, is the top returner from the 2024 Rebel cross country squad that qualified for nationals. Gillen was second-team All-SEC after finishing eighth at an 8K career-best 22:41.3, and he went on to earn his second career NCAA All-South Region honor to push Ole Miss to the national meet.
Ole Miss also returns from last year third-team All-SEC senior Evan Thornton-Sherman, who was 15th at this meet a year ago. Other Rebel men set to toe the line Friday morning are: sophomore Lukas Ehrle, sophomore Zack Gilbertson, freshman Ky Hehir, freshman Owen Kelley, senior Marco Perez, senior Gabe Scales and freshman John Shoemaker.
The Ole Miss women, meanwhile, will be in a championship race with five ranked teams as well alongside No. 3 Florida, No. 20 South Carolina, No. 23 Missouri, No. 25 Alabama and No. 27 Tennessee, as well as two others receiving votes in Arkansas and LSU.
Senior Beth Arentz has led the charge for the Rebel women all season long, and she will look to do so again this Friday. Arentz, who just barely missed out on All-Region honors last season, is Ole Miss' top returner from the SEC Championships last fall, where she finished 35th at what was then a 39-second 6K best of 20:05.6.
Arentz has topped that performance once already this season, running 20:03.1 in her season debut to finish 30th at Gans Creek before another strong showing at Pre-Nats in 28th place at 20:16.2. Arentz is looking to become the eighth Rebel woman in recorded program history to break the 20-minute barrier in the 6K.
Fellow senior Sophie Baumann is Ole Miss' top returner from the regional meet last fall, where she finished All-Region in 23rd place. This fall, she has a season-best 6K of 20:28.1 from Gans Creek.
Freshman Leah Penick, though, has been the breakout story for the Rebel women this season. Penick was the top Rebel finisher at the Memphis Twilight on Aug. 30, running 17:21.7 in her collegiate debut before finishing as the third-best Rebel in the 6K at Gans Creek (109th, 20:56.5) and second-best at Pre-Nats (63rd, 20:41.6).
Other Rebel women competing this week are: freshman Madison Archdale, sophomore Hannah Doyle, freshman Natalie Duggan, junior Adie Luna, freshman Addy Mitchell and junior Brooke Preputnick.
Competition begins Friday morning at 9 a.m. CT on SEC Network. For more information regarding the 2025 SEC Cross Country Championships, visit the conference championship hub HERE and Tennessee's meet hub HERE.
Ole Miss Men's Conference Roster • 8K: 9:08 AM CT
Name • Season-Best (8K)
Lukas Ehrle • 23:56.4
Zack Gilbertson • 24:25.3
Toby Gillen • 23:23.4
Ky Hehir • 24:24.4
Owen Kelley • 24:20.9
Kidus Misgina • 22:51.8
Marco Perez • 24:21.0
Gabe Scales • 24:19.8
John Shoemaker • 24:20.8
Evan Thornton-Sherman • 23:22.7
Ole Miss Women's Conference Roster • 6K: 9:53 AM CT
Name • Season-Best (6K)
Madison Archdale • 21:48.8
Beth Arentz • 20:03.0
Sophie Baumann • 20:28.1
Hannah Doyle • 21:40.4
Natalie Duggan • 21:51.0
Ella Johnson • 21:06.6
Adie Luna • 21:21.8
Addy Mitchell • 21:40.8
Leah Penick • 20:41.6
Brooke Preputnick • 21:38.3
SEC Men's Preseason Poll
1. #8 Alabama (10) – 16
2. Arkansas (2) – 29
3. #26 Ole Miss (1) – 47
4. #22 Missouri – 61
5. #29 Oklahoma (1) – 63
6. Tennessee – 65
7. (RV) Texas A&M – 86
8. #20 Georgia – 101
T9. Kentucky – 118
T9. (RV) Texas – 118
11. Florida – 120
12. Auburn – 126
13. Vanderbilt – 155
14. LSU – 158
SEC Women's Preseason Poll
1. #25 Alabama (7) – 23
2. #3 Florida (9) – 26
3. (RV) Arkansas – 57
4. Oklahoma – 85
5. Texas A&M – 97
6. Mississippi State – 105
7. #23 Missouri – 111
8. (RV) LSU – 122
9. #20 South Carolina – 123
10. #27 Tennessee – 125
11. Texas – 142
12. Ole Miss – 150
13. Vanderbilt – 180
14. Auburn – 186
15. Kentucky – 189
16. Georgia – 199
SEC Network begins live coverage at 9 a.m. CT, with the men's championship 8K at 9:08 a.m. CT, followed by the women's championship 6K at 9:53 a.m. CT.
The No. 26 Rebel men are right in the thick of what is sure to be a tight team race for the SEC crown as one of five ranked squads running Friday. Ole Miss was picked to finish third (and received one first-place vote) in the preseason coaches poll back in August behind No. 8 Alabama and unranked Arkansas, while ahead of No. 22 Missouri (fourth), No. 29 Oklahoma (fifth), No. 20 Georgia (eighth) and two others receiving votes in Texas A&M (seventh) and Texas (ninth).
In addition to vying for a conference crown, Ole Miss' men's squad is also looking for another strong team finish to bolster its national resume prior to the NCAA South Regional in two weeks. Crucial to those efforts will be top runners junior Kidus Misgina and senior Toby Gillen.
Misgina has been the Rebel men's low stick in each of his two races so far this fall, his first cross country competitions at Ole Miss since transferring prior to the indoor track season from Florida State. Misgina, who last April dismantled the Ole Miss 10K record outdoors at 28:20.19, was fourth at Missouri's Pre-National Invitational back on Oct. 17 and 11th three weeks earlier at Mizzou's Gans Creek Classic at a 39-second 8K career-best 22:51.8.
Gillen would have finished in a similar place at Gans Creek if not for a late fall in the race, but he bounced back well at Pre-Nats with an 11th-place finish behind Misgina at 23:23.4. Gillen, who concluded a superb All-American track career for Ole Miss this past spring, is the top returner from the 2024 Rebel cross country squad that qualified for nationals. Gillen was second-team All-SEC after finishing eighth at an 8K career-best 22:41.3, and he went on to earn his second career NCAA All-South Region honor to push Ole Miss to the national meet.
Ole Miss also returns from last year third-team All-SEC senior Evan Thornton-Sherman, who was 15th at this meet a year ago. Other Rebel men set to toe the line Friday morning are: sophomore Lukas Ehrle, sophomore Zack Gilbertson, freshman Ky Hehir, freshman Owen Kelley, senior Marco Perez, senior Gabe Scales and freshman John Shoemaker.
The Ole Miss women, meanwhile, will be in a championship race with five ranked teams as well alongside No. 3 Florida, No. 20 South Carolina, No. 23 Missouri, No. 25 Alabama and No. 27 Tennessee, as well as two others receiving votes in Arkansas and LSU.
Senior Beth Arentz has led the charge for the Rebel women all season long, and she will look to do so again this Friday. Arentz, who just barely missed out on All-Region honors last season, is Ole Miss' top returner from the SEC Championships last fall, where she finished 35th at what was then a 39-second 6K best of 20:05.6.
Arentz has topped that performance once already this season, running 20:03.1 in her season debut to finish 30th at Gans Creek before another strong showing at Pre-Nats in 28th place at 20:16.2. Arentz is looking to become the eighth Rebel woman in recorded program history to break the 20-minute barrier in the 6K.
Fellow senior Sophie Baumann is Ole Miss' top returner from the regional meet last fall, where she finished All-Region in 23rd place. This fall, she has a season-best 6K of 20:28.1 from Gans Creek.
Freshman Leah Penick, though, has been the breakout story for the Rebel women this season. Penick was the top Rebel finisher at the Memphis Twilight on Aug. 30, running 17:21.7 in her collegiate debut before finishing as the third-best Rebel in the 6K at Gans Creek (109th, 20:56.5) and second-best at Pre-Nats (63rd, 20:41.6).
Other Rebel women competing this week are: freshman Madison Archdale, sophomore Hannah Doyle, freshman Natalie Duggan, junior Adie Luna, freshman Addy Mitchell and junior Brooke Preputnick.
Competition begins Friday morning at 9 a.m. CT on SEC Network. For more information regarding the 2025 SEC Cross Country Championships, visit the conference championship hub HERE and Tennessee's meet hub HERE.
Ole Miss Men's Conference Roster • 8K: 9:08 AM CT
Name • Season-Best (8K)
Lukas Ehrle • 23:56.4
Zack Gilbertson • 24:25.3
Toby Gillen • 23:23.4
Ky Hehir • 24:24.4
Owen Kelley • 24:20.9
Kidus Misgina • 22:51.8
Marco Perez • 24:21.0
Gabe Scales • 24:19.8
John Shoemaker • 24:20.8
Evan Thornton-Sherman • 23:22.7
Ole Miss Women's Conference Roster • 6K: 9:53 AM CT
Name • Season-Best (6K)
Madison Archdale • 21:48.8
Beth Arentz • 20:03.0
Sophie Baumann • 20:28.1
Hannah Doyle • 21:40.4
Natalie Duggan • 21:51.0
Ella Johnson • 21:06.6
Adie Luna • 21:21.8
Addy Mitchell • 21:40.8
Leah Penick • 20:41.6
Brooke Preputnick • 21:38.3
SEC Men's Preseason Poll
1. #8 Alabama (10) – 16
2. Arkansas (2) – 29
3. #26 Ole Miss (1) – 47
4. #22 Missouri – 61
5. #29 Oklahoma (1) – 63
6. Tennessee – 65
7. (RV) Texas A&M – 86
8. #20 Georgia – 101
T9. Kentucky – 118
T9. (RV) Texas – 118
11. Florida – 120
12. Auburn – 126
13. Vanderbilt – 155
14. LSU – 158
SEC Women's Preseason Poll
1. #25 Alabama (7) – 23
2. #3 Florida (9) – 26
3. (RV) Arkansas – 57
4. Oklahoma – 85
5. Texas A&M – 97
6. Mississippi State – 105
7. #23 Missouri – 111
8. (RV) LSU – 122
9. #20 South Carolina – 123
10. #27 Tennessee – 125
11. Texas – 142
12. Ole Miss – 150
13. Vanderbilt – 180
14. Auburn – 186
15. Kentucky – 189
16. Georgia – 199
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