The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, September 5
Memphis, Tenn.
Ole Miss
at
Memphis Twilight
Cross Country Begins New Season at Memphis Twilight
9/4/2026 | Cross Country
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The 2026 cross country season has arrived for the Ole Miss men's and women's teams, as they are set to open their schedule at the City Auto Memphis Twilight Cross Country Classic on Saturday night, hosted by Christian Brothers University at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex.
The women will begin their 5K race at 9:20 p.m., while the men are scheduled to begin their four-mile run at 10 p.m.
Each team will begin their regular season schedule of three meets this weekend, with the two teams getting back into action on September 25 at the Gans Creek Classic, before the men run at the Nuttycombe Invitational on October 9 and the women at the Pre Nationals on October 16. The 2026 Cross Country SEC Championship will be held in Columbia, Missouri on October 30, before the NCAA South Regional in Tallahassee, Florida on November 13. The NCAA Championships will be held on Saturday, November 21 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Saturday marks the debut for first-year coach Cory Leslie, who was hired in July as the associate head cross country and assistant track & field coach. He came to Oxford after leading some of the best mid and long-distance runners in the country as head coach with the Under Armour Professional Track & Field Team since 2021.
Leslie spent the past four years involved with USA Track & Field as well and was previously the head cross country and assistant track & field coach with Arizona State from 2017 to 2020. He spent 2016 to 2017 as an assistant coach at George Mason University, after getting his coaching start with Furman University from 2012 to 2016.
The men's program returns four runners who helped the Rebels place 22nd at the National Championship a year ago, highlighted by Kidus Misgina who took 46th overall at the event and was named the 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year. He is joined by returners Zack Gilbertson, Owen Kelley, and John Shoemaker, who each ran for Ole Miss at nationals. Overall, the men return nine runners from last season's roster while adding two freshman and a pair of transfers.
On the women's side, the team returns 10 members from their roster last season, led by senior Jillian Candelino and sophomore Leah Penick. Candelino last competed for Tennessee, where she was an SEC all-freshman team member as well as a USTFCCCA All-South Region honoree during the 2023 cross country season. Penick began her college career a season ago with the Rebels by taking fifth place at the Memphis Twilight with a time of 17:21.7 as a freshman. She would cap off her inaugural cross country season with a PR of 20:30.8 in the 6K at the NCAA South Regional.
More information on the 2026 Memphis Twilight can be found at the meet information website here.
Women's College 5K • 9:20 PM CT
Madison Archdale
Jillian Candelino
Natalie Duggan
Alicia Finnis
Adie Luna
Zoe Marsh
Addy Mitchell
Brooke Preputnick
Reese Reaman
Shannon Zugelder
Men's College 4-Mile • 10 PM CT
Travis Furmanski
Zack Gilbertson
Ky Hehir
Aidan Hodge
Luke Hurley
Owen Kelley
Landen McNair
John Shoemaker
Stone Smith
The women will begin their 5K race at 9:20 p.m., while the men are scheduled to begin their four-mile run at 10 p.m.
Each team will begin their regular season schedule of three meets this weekend, with the two teams getting back into action on September 25 at the Gans Creek Classic, before the men run at the Nuttycombe Invitational on October 9 and the women at the Pre Nationals on October 16. The 2026 Cross Country SEC Championship will be held in Columbia, Missouri on October 30, before the NCAA South Regional in Tallahassee, Florida on November 13. The NCAA Championships will be held on Saturday, November 21 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Saturday marks the debut for first-year coach Cory Leslie, who was hired in July as the associate head cross country and assistant track & field coach. He came to Oxford after leading some of the best mid and long-distance runners in the country as head coach with the Under Armour Professional Track & Field Team since 2021.
Leslie spent the past four years involved with USA Track & Field as well and was previously the head cross country and assistant track & field coach with Arizona State from 2017 to 2020. He spent 2016 to 2017 as an assistant coach at George Mason University, after getting his coaching start with Furman University from 2012 to 2016.
The men's program returns four runners who helped the Rebels place 22nd at the National Championship a year ago, highlighted by Kidus Misgina who took 46th overall at the event and was named the 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year. He is joined by returners Zack Gilbertson, Owen Kelley, and John Shoemaker, who each ran for Ole Miss at nationals. Overall, the men return nine runners from last season's roster while adding two freshman and a pair of transfers.
On the women's side, the team returns 10 members from their roster last season, led by senior Jillian Candelino and sophomore Leah Penick. Candelino last competed for Tennessee, where she was an SEC all-freshman team member as well as a USTFCCCA All-South Region honoree during the 2023 cross country season. Penick began her college career a season ago with the Rebels by taking fifth place at the Memphis Twilight with a time of 17:21.7 as a freshman. She would cap off her inaugural cross country season with a PR of 20:30.8 in the 6K at the NCAA South Regional.
More information on the 2026 Memphis Twilight can be found at the meet information website here.
Women's College 5K • 9:20 PM CT
Madison Archdale
Jillian Candelino
Natalie Duggan
Alicia Finnis
Adie Luna
Zoe Marsh
Addy Mitchell
Brooke Preputnick
Reese Reaman
Shannon Zugelder
Men's College 4-Mile • 10 PM CT
Travis Furmanski
Zack Gilbertson
Ky Hehir
Aidan Hodge
Luke Hurley
Owen Kelley
Landen McNair
John Shoemaker
Stone Smith
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Wednesday, October 08