TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Stetson cross country teams will continue their 2026 campaign Friday morning when they travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the Crimson Classic, hosted by the University of Alabama at Harry Pritchett Running Park.
The men's team will open competition with the 8K at 9:30 a.m. ET, followed by the women's 6K at 10:20 a.m. ET.
Stetson's men enter the weekend looking to build on a historic performance at the Georgia Tech XC Invitational two weeks ago. The Hatters finished third overall in Douglasville while their scoring five combined for a program-record average of 24:47.
Sophomore Jonathan Pena will once again lead a Stetson group that has rewritten the program record book throughout the opening half of the season. Pena finished ninth overall at Georgia Tech with a school-record 8K time of 24:18, giving him his second cross country school record of the season after also setting the program's 5K mark in the season opener.
Sophomore Kenan Willard and senior Seth Singer will also return to the course after producing career-best performances in Georgia. Willard's 24:33 moved him to third on Stetson's all-time 8K list, while Singer's 24:43 ranks fifth in program history.
Senior Robbie Champa will look to build on a career-best 25:04 performance at Georgia Tech, while sophomore Blake Young returns to the lineup after sitting out the Hatters' last meet. Young returns following a strong freshman track campaign that included a school-record performance in the 10K.
On the women's side, the Hatters will face one of their strongest fields of the season. The women's 6K will feature two nationally ranked top-25 programs along with several teams represented in the NCAA regional rankings, providing Stetson with another opportunity to test itself against high-level competition as championship season approaches.
Sophomore Hannah Judge will make her return to the Stetson lineup. Judge owns the program's cross country 5K record and currently ranks third all-time in the 6K as she looks to add another strong performance to the record book.
Junior Madi Kerr-Wong will also toe the line after establishing herself as one of Stetson's most consistent scorers this fall. Kerr-Wong has finished among the Hatters' top three throughout the season, including a 28th-place finish in 22:37 at the Georgia Tech XC Invitational.
Sophomore Avery Sommers will join Judge and Kerr-Wong in Tuscaloosa as she looks to continue a strong sophomore campaign. Sommers has also been a consistent presence in the Hatters' scoring group throughout the fall.
Friday marks Stetson's final scheduled competition before turning its attention toward championship season. The Hatters will compete at the ASUN Championship on Oct. 30 in Richmond, Kentucky.
Live results will be available throughout both races through PTTiming. Additional meet information and course maps for the men's 8K and women's 6K are available through Alabama Athletics.
