Buies Creek, N.C. – The Campbell University men's and women's cross country teams will wrap up their 2025 regular-season campaigns Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Upstate Invitational, hosted by USC Upstate.
The meet begins with the women's 5K at 9 a.m., followed by the men's 8K at approximately 9:45 a.m. Both races will be held at Milliken Arboretum in Spartanburg, S.C. Live results will be available online.
LAST TIME OUT
Campbell last competed Oct. 3 at the Dill Family Foundation Invitational, formerly known as the ECU Pirate Invitational, at Overton's Lake Kristi. The women's team finished fifth in the 6K with 102 points while the men's team placed sixth in the 8K with 141 points. In total, the Camels recorded 10 personal-best times, 11 collegiate race debuts and four marks that ranked among the program's all-time top 25.
In the women's 6K, junior
Emelyn Lacour ran a time of 22:49.93, the 16th-fastest mark in program history, to lead Campbell with a 14th-place finish. Freshman
Ava Childress clocked 23:48.74 in her collegiate 6K debut, while sophomore
Abby Reutinger recorded a personal-best 24:06.69 as the Camels' third finisher.
In the men's 8K, junior
Andrew Barrett led the way with a personal-best 25:17.40, the 13th-fastest time in program history. Sophomore
Mario Cantarero followed with a personal-best 25:24.84, ranking 16th all-time, while redshirt sophomore
Jackson Price was Campbell's third finisher at 25:54.43.
REWRITING THE HISTORY BOOKS
The 2025 season has been filled with performances that rank among the best in program history. In total, the Camels have recorded 16 times within the top 20, including six within the top 10 of their respective races.
The highlight of the season so far came from junior
Emily Pierce, who broke the program record in the women's 4K with a time of 14:01.9 at the Elon Friday Night Lights Opener on Aug. 29.
Top-20 times recorded during the 2025 season:
Men's 6K
Isaiah Martine – 8th all-time, 18:45.1 at the Elon Friday Night Lights Opener (Aug. 29)
Mario Cantarero – 14th all-time, 19:22.2 at the Adidas XC Challenge (Sept. 20)
Craig Costa – 17th all-time, 19:36.3 at the Elon Friday Night Lights Opener (Aug. 29)
Andrew Barrett – 18th all-time, 19:36.8 at the Elon Friday Night Lights Opener (Aug. 29)
Men's 8K
Andrew Barrett – 13th all-time, 25:17.4 at the Dill Family Foundation Invitational (Oct. 3)
Mario Cantarero – 16th all-time, 25:24.9 at the Dill Family Foundation Invitational (Oct. 3)
Women's 4K
Emily Pierce –
Program Record, 14:01.9 at the Elon Friday Night Lights Opener (Aug. 29)
Delaney Horton – 4th all-time, 14:32.5 at the Elon Friday Night Lights Opener (Aug. 29)
Emelyn Lacour – 7th all-time, 14:56.1 at the Elon Friday Night Lights Opener (Aug. 29)
Jenna VanRyn – 13th all-time, 15:14.6 at the Elon Friday Night Lights Opener (Aug. 29)
Samantha Sproul – 18th all-time, 15:43.6 at the Elon Friday Night Lights Opener (Aug. 29)
Mary Ella Bichey – 19th all-time, 15:48.5 at the Elon Friday Night Lights Opener (Aug. 29)
Kaitlynn Howell – 20th all-time, 15:49.3 at the Elon Friday Night Lights Opener (Aug. 29)
Women's 5K
Emily Pierce – 7th all-time, 18:07.8 at the Adidas XC Challenge (Sept. 20)
Delaney Horton – 8th all-time, 18:10.7 at the Adidas XC Challenge (Sept. 20)
Women's 6K
Emelyn Lacour – 16th all-time, 22:50.0 at the Dill Family Foundation Invitational (Oct. 3)
HEAD COACH EVAN DARM
Evan Darm was officially named the head coach of the Campbell track and field and cross country teams on June 16, dropping the interim tag following the 2024-25 athletic year.
Darm, a 2015 Campbell graduate, worked for three seasons at the Creek following graduation, first as a graduate assistant and then as a volunteer assistant. After a year away, Darm returned to the program for a season in 2019, helping guide the men to the Big South title.
He left to take a head coaching job for cross country at Lincoln Memorial (Tennessee) for two years before returning again to Campbell in 2022, where he has remained and risen to the head coaching position. As an assistant, Darm primarily worked with distance runners, including All-American
Dorcus Ewoi, who finished second in the Big South during the cross country season. Darm ran cross country for the Camels and earned All-Big South honors in 2014.
THE NEWEST FIGHTING CAMELS
The men's and women's cross country teams welcome a total of 14 new members for the 2025 season, including three transfers. Eight of the 14 are from North Carolina. The men's team welcomes six new members, and the women's team welcomes eight. The men's team returns 11 members from the 2024 team, and the women's team returns seven.
RECAP OF THE 2024 SEASON
In 2024, Campbell competed in four meets, including the CAA Championships.
The team's best finish came in the season-opening Wilmington Beach Blast 5K. Both the men's and women's squads claimed first-place finishes.
Emily Pierce finished first overall in the women's 5K with a time of 18:37.9. Overall, the Camels had four top-10 finishers in the women's 5K and five top-10 finishers in the men's 5K.
Hudson Hayes ran a team-best 16:01.1, finishing third overall in the men's 5K.
At the 2024 CAA Championships,
Emily Pierce led the way in the women's 6K for Campbell, running a personal-best 22:34.10 and finishing 40th overall. In the men's 8K,
Hudson Hayes ran 26:50.20 and finished 46th overall. The Campbell men placed eighth overall, one spot higher than last year, and the women placed 11th.
STAY TUNED
For further coverage of Campbell cross country, follow the Camels on X, Facebook, and Instagram (@GoCamelsXCTF).
