XC Takes Fifth at AAC Championships; Runners Honored by Conference

Knoxville, Tennessee- The Golden Tigers cross-country team placed fifth at the 2025 Appalachian Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships on Friday.

The Golden Tigers posted 138 team points in the 6K event, which was fifty points ahead of sixth-place Columbia (SC) College. 

Junior Averie Akin continued to shine during the 2025 campaign by leading the squad with a 24th overall finish out of 110 runners in a time of 22:52. Freshman De'Nya Reynolds also had a strong showing in her inaugural championship appearance with a 35th-place finish in 23:38. 

Junior Victoria Woods ran 23:57 to place 38th overall, and freshman Kendall Goetzman cracked the top-50 with a 48th place finish in 24:41.

Senior Ellie Kinlaw also had a solid AAC Championship performance, running 26:17 to notch a 60th-place finish, while juniors Leslie Cabrera (29:21) and Gladys Blanco Choque (32:28) placed 83rd and 94th, respectively. 

For Cabrera, Goetzman Reynolds, and Woods, the times represented personal bests as a Golden Tiger. 

Defending conference champs Milligan (Tn.) captured top team honors, while Montreat (NC), SCAD-Atlanta (Ga.) and Reinhardt (Ga.) rounded out the top-four team finishers.

Milligan's Ellen-Mary Kearney won individual honors in a time of 19:59. 

The Golden Tigers also received recognition for their off-the-track performances as the conference honored Akin, Blanco Choque, Cabrera, and Woods as 2025 AAC All-Academic team performers. All-Academic honorees must maintain a minimum of an overall 3.25 cumulative grade point average and have achieved at least sophomore status.

Blanco Choque also received recognition for her contributions to the Golden Tigers' cross country team by being named as 2025 AAC XC Champions of Character team member. Champions of Character team members best represent the NAIA's Five Core Values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship and Servant Leadership.  

For full championship meet results, click here.