Murray State’s cross country teams participated in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships on Nov. 1 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Women’s Cross Country

The Murray State women’s cross country team secured a ninth-place finish at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships on Friday, Nov. 1, at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course. The Racers, who had previously achieved four consecutive top-five finishes, faced a tough field but showed remarkable performances throughout the race.

Freshman Liz Smith led the Racers, finishing 32nd at 21:34, marking the second-best 6K time in school history. Smith’s strong finish saw her overtake seven competitors in the latter half of the race, showcasing her potential for future success.

Alyssa Moore also had an impressive outing, placing 43rd with a time of 22:00, now ranking fifth on the MSU all-time 6K list. Breanna Day set a personal record, improving her best time by 18 seconds, while Jocelyn Host also recorded a PR at the meet.

Here are the times for the women’s team:

32 Liz Smith 21:34.5
43 Alyssa Moore 22:00.6
64 Breanna Day 22:30.4
71 Jocelyn Host 22:44.1
74 Autumn Egleston 22:57.1
77 Sam Tucci 23:08.5
80 Hope Ware 23:17.0
86 Kaydee Wooldridge 24:06.9
88 Chloe Wood 24:20.1

Men’s Cross Country

The Murray State men’s cross country team brought home an 11th place finish at the MVC Championships, with two runners entering the Murray State history books with their performances.

Freshman Dylan Ellis and Senior Jarod Willis both entered the top-five all-time in the 8k event. Ellis clocked a time of 25:20 to finish 60th in the event and Willis finished with a time of 25:25, which was good for 64th.

Here is a look at the times for the men’s team:

60 Dylan Ellis 25:20.0
64 Jarod Willis 25:25.0
76 Gabe Russell 26:30.9
77 Nathan Quinn 26:39.8
79 Dan Schalk 26:44.9
80 Kellen Hottell 26:45.1
81 Jackson Custer 27:11.5
83 Joey Santoro 27:21.0
86 Ben Crask 27:51.9