Pinson, Tenn. - At 8 am, Saturday, September 6, local collegiate cross country teams took the starting line at Pinson Mounds Archaeological Park for the 2025 Freed Speed Invitational. The weather was perfect racing weather with temperatures in the high 50s, and the expected rain held off with nothing more than a slight drizzle. Bo Scott wasted no time in taking the lead and showed no signs of slowing down for the majority of the race. In the back stretch of the final lap, two runners, including teammate Barrett Poe, were able to close the gap and make it a close race that came down to the final 100 meters. Scott was able to find a second gear and bring home the victory with Poe coming in a close second place, just two seconds behind. The rest of the Lions' top five runners were able to finish in the top 10. Neal Rowlett was able to come in sixth place in his first 8k, Lucas Black was able to use a PR to finish in 7th place, and Blake Brown finished 10th to round out the Lions' top five. Brock Windham just missed the top 10 by coming in 11th. The Lions were able to bring home the first-place team trophy with a score of 23 points, marking their first team win of the season.

Scott mentioned having a four-mile race last weekend was a good way to prepare for the almost five-mile race they have for the rest of the season. Scott also mentioned this being a good eye opener for a potential national championship bid, he believes the team can claim this season, one of the goals the whole team has going forward. 

Similar to Scott, Eliza Poe took the lead in the women's race and never let go of it for the entire 6k race. She was able to set a seven-second PR and win the race by over a minute. Just like the guys' team, the top five women's runners also finished inside the top 10 for a 21-point team victory. Mary Pearce and Megan Lampley finished in third and fourth place, while Hannah Cherry finished sixth and Mackenzie Reames in ninth in their first 6k races.

Poe is excited to see how the rest of the season goes for the team and believes they can build off this for an exciting and successful season. Poe has been able to set a school record in the 5k and a PR in the 6k in the first two races of the season. She is looking to continue the hard work for the rest of the season and meet some personal goals of hers. She also has high expectations for the girls as a team because of the hard work they have already put in and how much they will continue to work.

 

In addition to the collegiate runners, Coach J Hall gave the five social clubs on the campus of Freed-Hardeman the opportunity to have one guy and one girl from each club participate in the race as a way to bridge the gap between the student-athletes and the students. On the men's side, Chi Beta Chi's Gabriel Yaeger was the highest finisher from the social clubs. Joshua Roberts from Xi Chi Delta, Campbell Scott from Phi Kappa Alpha, and Dalton Shumate from Omega Chi were also able to enjoy the experience of being a collegiate athlete for the day. Kiersten Perry for Omega Chi was the highest finisher for the women's social club, and Lily Simpson also competed in the race representing Xi Chi Delta.