Spartanburg, S.C. – The University of Lynchburg men's cross country team earned 26th place in the team standings at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships as five athletes made their NCAA Championships debuts.
Graduate student Johnathan Cobb finished inside the top 100, while Saturday's race marked Sam Llaneza's first NCAA Championships event as a coach. The Hornets' men's team returned to the NCAA Championships for the fifth year in a row.
The Hornets surged through the opening 400 meters of the race, while Cobb emerged in the front of the pack. Lynchburg's top three runners funneled into the top 10, and at the one-kilometer mark, the Hornets occupied fourth in the team standings.
In the next two kilometers, Lynchburg's pack slowed to find the middle of the field, while sophomore Alex Jordan led the charge in 92nd place. The Hornets boasted three athletes inside the top 110 runners with five kilometers remaining.
During the course's final 3k loop, five Hornets improved their positioning ahead of the final ascent to the finish line. Lynchburg posted a 54-second spread among its top-five athletes, while the team made up a combined 62 spots in the final kilometer.
Cobb crossed the line in 25:13.9 to finish 88th in the field, while Jordan posted 25:24.6 for 112th. Randy White followed behind with a 25:57.2 performance for 193rd.
Cameron Sidebotham improved to 26:06.4 with 24 overtakes in the final three kilometers, and Jack Weddle closed the scoring with a 26:08.2 result. The Hornets' 613 points gave the Hornets a 26th-place finish in the 32-team field.
The Lynchburg men's team enjoyed nine All-ODAC performances and seven All-Region results in the 2025 postseason, while the Hornets will return six athletes who competed at the NCAA Championships for next season.
For full results from the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships, click here.
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