Live Results
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport cross country teams will make their home debut on Friday evening when the Captains host the CNU Invitational at Lee Hall Mansion.
Action gets underway with the men's 8k at 5:30 p.m. Later, the women will head out for the 6k at 6:20 p.m. For those fans unable to attend the competition, live results will be available at CNUsports.com. A direct link can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.
Friday's meet will include runners from nearly a dozen colleges, including representatives from all three levels of the NCAA. That group includes Division I foes Hampton, Norfolk State, and VCU as well as Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference rival Regent.
Overall, 28 Captains are currently scheduled to take part in the competition, including nine newcomers who will be making their first collegiate appearance at home.
Among the 19 veterans who will return to Lee Hall Mansion, the women welcome back the top-six runners from last year's squad, which captured the championship at the 2025 CNU Invitational.
Sarah Dake placed second at the meet with a time of 22:39.69, while
Kayla Lopez (23:21.84),
Sarah Bland (23:26.30), and
Courtney Mudd (23:56.86) all finished in the top-10 overall.
Rounding out the standout veterans,
Isabella Phillips was 15th last fall with a time of 24:15.45, while
Lena Blagg came in 18th in 24:18.97.
The men also return an experienced contingent, which produced a second-place showing at last year's CNU Invitational.
Clayton Rankin,
Kevin Farnsworth, and
TJ Brown are all back after finishing in the squad's top-seven last fall. Rankin placed 13th overall in the 8k with a time of 27:13.87, while Farnsworth was four spots back after crossing in 27:43.72. Later, Brown rounded out the leaders with a time of 29:26.79.
Friday's meet will be Christopher Newport's second appearance of the fall after the squad shined at the Spider Alumni Open earlier this month. Facing a field overflowing with Division I programs, both the men and women placed first among D3 squads. On an individual level, Lopez completed the 4k in 15:07.7, which was the second-fastest time of her career. Meanwhile, Rankin led all Division III runners on the men's side with a 6k time of 20:03.1.
Aided by their work in the opener, the women jumped to third in the latest USTFCCCA South Region rankings, while the men held down the No. 9 spot in the most recent poll.
Following Friday's meet, Christopher Newport will hit the road for the prestigious Paul Short Run on October 2 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
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