LAKELAND, Fla. -- SEU Men's Cross Country opened its 2025 season on Saturday morning by hosting the Swan City Classic at Holloway Park. Racing on a demanding 6K course that wound through stretches of grass, dirt, and sand trails, the Fire were tested early against a competitive field featuring several NCAA Division II programs and strong regional opponents. SEU rose to the challenge, placing sixth out of 11 teams and finishing as the top NAIA and Sun Conference program in the event.
Jack Brooks led the way for Southeastern with a steady and controlled effort, crossing the line in 19:31 to finish 16th overall and set the pace for the Fire pack.
Derek Robinson followed as the team's second scorer, clocking 20:01 for 31st place, while
Jordan Hierholzer came through close behind, finishing 33rd with a time of 20:13.
Southeastern's depth was on full display as
Kaleb Mellott (39th, 20:47) and
Noah Joos (40th, 20:51) rounded out the Fire's scoring five, keeping the spread within 80 seconds from Brooks to Joos. That tight grouping proved crucial in the standings and underscored SEU's ability to work together effectively in the middle of a crowded race.
Just outside the scoring positions,
Sage Nelson matched Joos stride for stride, crossing in 20:51 for 41st place, while
Jeremy Durbin added a 47th-place finish at 21:01 to complete the Fire's top seven. Additional strong performances came from
Felipe Ledesma (21:13),
Levi Gustafson (21:14),
Tobias Dickerson (22:25),
Spencer Louis (22:08),
Nathaniel Chenowith (22:46),
Judah Lokey (23:40),
Tyler Martelly (23:47),
Gabriel Arce-Gonzalez (23:59), and
Tyler Moody (25:38), giving SEU valuable early-season depth and experience.
Southeastern's sixth-place team finish left the Fire just three points behind Palm Beach Atlantic for fifth and kept them within striking distance of Florida Tech in fourth. With several NCAA Division II programs occupying the top spots, SEU's standing as the highest-finishing NAIA and Sun Conference team highlights a strong start to the campaign and sets a promising tone for the weeks ahead.
The Fire will return to action on Saturday, September 27, at the Florida State University Invitational in Tallahassee. The race, scheduled for a 7:40 a.m. start, will present another challenging field and a key opportunity for SEU to build on its season-opening performance.
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