BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Campbell men's and women's cross country teams travel to the Empire State for the 2026 CAA Cross Country Championships. The meet will occur on Friday, Oct. 30 at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. 

The men's 8K race will kick off the meet at 10 a.m., followed by the women's 6K race at 11 a.m. An awards ceremony is scheduled for noon.

The Camels look to build on a great performance at last year's championships, when both the men's and women's teams recorded program-best eighth-place finishes at the CAA Championships.

CAA CHAMPIONSHIPS MEET INFORMATION

• Date & Time: Friday, Oct. 30 | 10:00 a.m. ET (Men's 8K) | 11:00 a.m. ET (Women's 6K)
• Location: Farmingdale, N.Y. | Bethpage State Park

LAST TIME OUT

Campbell found success on Friday at the Royals Cross Country Challenge in Charlotte, N.C. The performance was highlighted by senior Emily Pierce improving upon her third-fastest 5K time in program history and a top five finish in both women's divisions.

In total, Campbell recorded 17 personal-bests and six times that rank in the program's top 20 all-time. The Camels also saw multiple runners climb the program's all-time lists across the women's 5K and men's 8K races at the meet.

Emily Pierce was named CAA Women's Runner of the Week and freshman Ethan Rich earned CAA Men's Runner of the Week honors for their efforts at the meet.

PIERCE-ING HISTORY

Pierce recroded the third-fastest 5K time in program history, finishing in 17:27.7 against a strong field at the Adidas XC Challenge.  Pierce placed 23rd overall among a group of 164 runners that included participants from NC State and South Carolina. She eclipsed her personal-best time in the event by nearly 30 seconds.

For her efforts, Pierce earned the first CAA weekly honor of her career. She is Campbell's first runner to earn a conference weekly honor since Dorcus Ewoi was named Big South Runner of the Week in 2021.

Pierce followed up the performance by recording the fifth-fastest 6K time in program history at the Richmond Invitational with a personal-best 21:20.8. Pierce finished fifth overall, once again, improving her previous personal best by nearly 30 seconds.

Pierce paced the Camels at the Royal Cross Country Challenge where she placed fourth overall in a personal-best 17:26.0. Pierce shaved just over one second off her previous best, further improving her standing as the third-fastest 5K runner in program history.

RECAP OF THE 2025 SEASON

In 2025, Campbell competed in six meets, including the CAA Championships and the NCAA Southeast Regional.

At the 2025 CAA Championships, senior Emily Pierce led the way in the women's 6K for Campbell, running a personal-best 21:49.8 and finishing 24th overall. In the men's 8K, sophomore Isaiah Martine ran a personal-best 24:57.8. Both the men and women placed eighth overall.

ROSTER BREAKDOWN

The men's and women's cross country teams welcome a total of 10 new members for the 2026 season, including four transfers. Four of the 10 are from North Carolina. The men's team welcomes three new members, and the women's team welcomes seven. The men's team returns 14 members from the 2024 team, and the women's team returns 11.

HEAD COACH EVAN DARM

Evan Darm enters his second season as the helm of the Campbell track and field and cross country teams, 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.

STAY UPDATED

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