Huntsville, Ala. - At 7:30 am, Friday, September 12, the Freed-Hardeman men's cross country team lined up alongside 449 other runners at the 2025 Southern Showcase in Huntsville, Ala. This has become one of the most sought-after races in the country, as John Hunt Park has produced some very fast times over the years. Among those runners were NCAA Division 1 runners from teams such as Alabama, Kentucky, Auburn, Louisville, Florida State, and others. With such a crowded starting line, getting out to a quick start is necessary for fast times, and with so many experienced and high-level talent, an opening position was difficult to be found by the Lions, resulting in a slower, clogged-up start, making it harder to move up throughout the race. Bo Scott led the Lions in this race as he was the team's top finisher. Daniel Puckett, making his season debut, finished second for the Lions, with Barrett Poe and Brock Windham finishing neck and neck for the third and fourth spots for the team. Blake Brown was able to round out the team's scorers. Despite the fast course, only one Lion was able to come out with a PR, Haden Bland, besting his previous PR by 14 seconds. The team finished 42nd out of 48 teams in the star-studded field.
An hour after the men's starting time, the Lady Lions also took off racing against 478 runners of the same caliber as the men's race. For the third straight race, Eliza Poe led the women's team thanks to another PR, besting her previous 5K PR by 17 seconds. Despite the NCAA talent, Poe was able to finish in 92nd place, part of the top 20%. Mary Pearce was next across the line, followed by Megan Lampley and then Hanna Cherry. Zola Dorris claimed the final scoring spot for the Lady Lions, and Mackenzie Reames finished less than a second behind Dorris. The Lady Lions were able to secure a 41st place team finish out of 52 teams
The cross country teams will have some well-deserved time off after a jam-packed start to the season. They will have three weeks off before traveling to Louisville, Ky., for the Live at the Louisville Classic on October 4.
