POTEAU, Okla. – The Murray State College men's and women's cross country teams opened their 2026 seasons in impressive fashion Friday morning as each team captured the team title. This is the first time in the history of Murray State College that the men's and women's team each won the team title.

Men's Results (8K)
The Aggies were led by Kaleb Madron, who captured the individual title with a time of 28:10.60. Madron set the pace from the front and finished more than a minute ahead of the next runner.

Murray State followed with a strong pack behind Madron as Luis Garcia finished second overall in 29:24.98, while Jonathan Avila crossed just behind him in third at 29:25.21.

Jaxton Brown added a fourth-place finish with a time of 29:53.89, and Aidan Hobbs rounded out the Aggies' top five in fifth place at 30:51.02. Murray State's depth continued to make an impact with Zak Kirk finishing seventh overall in 31:21.62 and Parker Brand placing ninth in 32:24.00.
 
The Aggies had the top five runners in the race and seven of the top nine, putting together a dominant team performance in their first competition of the season. Murray State finished ahead of Seminole State College, which placed four runners among the top 13, while Carl Albert State College and Connors State College also competed in the season-opening event.
 
Women's Results (5K)
The Lady Aggies were led by Harley Johnson, who captured the individual title with a time of 23:09.18. Johnson was followed closely by teammate Erica Frass, who finished second overall in 23:25.57.
 
Christine Kurgat added a fourth-place finish with a time of 25:36.60, while Chloe Gaines followed in fifth at 25:42.52. Claire Laib rounded out the Aggies' top five in sixth place, crossing the finish line in 25:46.26.
 
Murray State continued to show its depth as Nayeli Paz finished ninth overall in 26:06.68, followed by Cheyanne Herrier in 13th at 28:11.25 and Rylee Pound in 15th at 28:47.52. Allie Schwartz and Carlee Gayler finished at 29:56.40 and 30:06.90, respectively.

The Lady Aggies placed five of the top six runners in the field and eight in the top 13, powering Murray State to a first-place team finish in its season opener. Murray State finished ahead of Seminole State College, Carl Albert State College and Connors State College.
 
The Aggies return to action next Friday when they travel to Bentonville, Arkansas to compete in the NWACC XC Opener.
 
Assistant Sports Information Director: Jeremy Wagner | jwagner@mscok.edu
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