Women Finish Top 10 At Southern Showcase

Friday, September 12

Huntsville, Ala.

8:30 a.m.

Mercer University

Southern Showcase

9/12/2025 2:13:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

By: Kaylin Flukey, Kaylin.flukey@live.mercer.edu

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Mercer women's cross country team posted a phenomenal 8th place finish with the men's team finishing 26th overall at the Southern Showcase in Huntsville, Ala. on Friday morning.

Eight different Bears on the women's team placed personal-best times after finishing 8th overall out of 54 teams at the Southern Showcase. Graduate student Nikki Harris crossed the finish line first for the Bears and finished 20th overall in the women's 5k with a time of 17:14.4, a personal best and the third-best time in school history. Freshman Mary Grace Parker finished with a time of 17:28.6 for the fifth-best time in school history and a personal best. Emma James and Chiara Belfico also finished in the top 60, both recording personal bests with times of 17:47.0 and 17:49.4, respectively.

Senior Buck Ledford was the first runner to finish for the men's team in the 8k with a personal-best and fifth-best school history time of 24:47.6 and a 58th place overall finish. Yianni Pothoulakis and Jake Peters were the next two finishers for the Bears with times of 25:23.6 and 25:41.6, respectively.

Mercer will make the short trip to Atlanta, Ga. on Oct. 3 for the Georgia Tech Invitational hosted at Bouckaert Farm.

Southern Showcase (September 12)
WOMEN'S 5K		MEN'S 8K
*Winner: Caren Kiplagat (Alabama, 16:18.8)*		Winner: Dismus Lokira (Alabama, 23:11.1)
20	! Nikki Harris, 17:14.4	59	! Buck Ledford, 24:47.6
33	! Mary Grace Parker, 17:28.6	133	Yianni Pothoulakis, 25:23.6
57	! Emma James, 17:47.0	157	Jake Peters, 25:41.6
60	! Chiara Belfico, 17:49.4	189	Will Poelker, 25:58.2
149	Olivia Jones, 18:35.8	204	Chris Connolly, 26:05.1
165	! Abbie Kallbreier, 18:41.4	220	Jonathan Greene, 26:09.4
192	! Courtney Calhoun, 18:55.1	222	Will Herlihy, 26:10.1
201	! Ava Ryan, 19:00.3	303	Peyton Millwood, 27:04.0
293	Mackenzie Crowe, 20:04.4	316	Hagan Russel, 27:13.3
303	! Abigail Winford, 20:21.1	332	Max Wakeland, 27:23.4
! = Personal Best