BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Campbell University men's and women's cross country teams are set to compete for a conference title Friday, Oct. 31, at the CAA Championships.
The meet begins with the women's 6K at 10 a.m., followed by the men's 8K at approximately 11 a.m. Both races will be held at Ocean County Park in Lakewood, New Jersey. Live results will be available online.
The top 15 finishers will earn All-CAA honors, and the individual winner will be recognized as the Most Outstanding Performer.
LAST TIME OUT
The Campbell University cross country teams wrapped up their 2025 regular season at the Upstate Invitational. The women's team placed sixth in the 5K with 182 points, led by junior
Emily Pierce's top-10 finish. The men's team finished ninth in the 8K with 224 points, paced by freshman
Isaiah Martine's 18th-place effort. In total, the Camels recorded eight personal bests and five top-25 marks in program history.
Pierce led the way with a personal-best time of 17:56.9, which ranks fifth all-time in program history. Freshman
Delaney Horton followed as the second Camel to cross the line, finishing 26th overall in 18:31.6. Junior
Emelyn Lacour rounded out the top three for Campbell with a personal-best 18:48.4, placing 40th overall.
Martine was the first Camel to finish and placed 18th overall with a time of 24:59.2, the 11th-fastest 8K mark in program history. Junior
Andrew Barrett followed with a 25:52.5, finishing 48th overall. Freshman
Jacob Morrison was the third Campbell finisher, crossing in with a personal-best time of 26:11.0.
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 17 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
Isaiah Martine – 11th all-time, 24:59.2 at the Upstate Invitational (Oct. 18)
Andrew Barrett – 14th all-time, 25:17.4 at the Dill Family Foundation Invitational (Oct. 3)
Mario Cantarero – 17th 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 – 5th all-time, 17:56.9 at the Upstate Invitational (Oct. 18)
Delaney Horton – 8th all-time, 18:10.7 at the Adidas XC Challenge (Sept. 20)
Emelyn Lacour – 17th all-time, 18:48.4 at the Upstate Invitational (Oct. 18)
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).
