The 2026 SLIAC Cross Country Championship is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31, at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky, with Spalding University hosting. The men’s 8-kilometer race is listed for 10:30 a.m. local time, followed by the women’s race at 11:30 a.m. An awards ceremony is planned for about 12:30 p.m., according to the championship preview.
Greenville’s men will pursue an unprecedented 11th consecutive conference title. The Panthers, Principia and Webster finished within eight points of one another at last year’s championship. Greenville returns last year’s individual champion, Kaden Einhorn, whose season-best time is 27:10. Hunter Malan, Mason Clayton and Luis Zavala also rank among the conference’s top 10 season-best times.
Webster’s Simon Muthemba leads the men’s season-best list at 26:44. His teammate Ethan Nieroda and Spalding’s Tobias Rice are tied for second at 27:05. Muthemba and Nieroda each finished among the top six last year; the preview said they are seeking the first men’s individual title for a Gorlok.
Principia was second in last year’s team standings, with Holland Thomas and Kennett Rampley both finishing in the top 10. Spalding placed fourth, led this season by Rice, who has paced the Golden Eagles in all six of their races. Eureka was fifth, Blackburn sixth and Lyon seventh last year. Lyon’s Elijah Benton has led the Scots in every race this fall and has a season best of 27:44. MUW, eighth last year, will look to Jarvis Sellers, whose season best is 29:04.
Greenville’s women are seeking a fifth consecutive team championship. The Panthers have four runners among the conference’s top five season-best times, led by reigning individual champion Alexis Martinez at 23:52. Alivia Clayton, Lydia Cahill and Natali Roth are also among the runners expected to contend near the front.
Lyon finished third in last year’s women’s race, followed by Westminster in fourth. Spalding was fifth, MUW sixth, Blackburn seventh and Webster eighth. Spalding’s Gemma Harkins has the team’s best time this season at 24:48, while MUW senior Hannah Owens has run 25:45. Principia junior Nina Martinez has led her team in all four races this fall, with a best of 26:48.
The preview also highlighted Blackburn’s Kaitlyn Garland, who has three top team finishes, and Eureka senior Zoe Stoecker, whose season best is 35:50. Westminster’s Sadie Brandt has three top team finishes this season; teammate Makayla Cordes finished ahead of her in the team’s most recent race, according to the preview.
Parking passes are required and can be purchased online for $10 per vehicle, the preview said.
