The VMI women’s cross country team came in seventh place with 206 points at the race, their best finish in 11 years, at the 2025 Southern Conference Championship at the Tryon Equestrian Park in Mill Spring, North Carolina, Nov. 1, 2025.—Photo courtesy VMI Athletics.
The VMI men’s and women’s cross country teams turned in strong performances at the 2025 Southern Conference Championship at the Tryon Equestrian Park in Mill Spring, North Carolina, Nov. 1, 2025. The women’s team earned its best finish in 11 years, placing seventh with 206 points—its top mark since VMI rejoined the conference in 2014—while the men finished eighth overall in a competitive field. Jillian Sisk ’27 led the women with a 20th-place finish in the 5K (18:32.80), and Ben Hagerich ’26 paced the men with a 23rd-place time of 25:59.40 in the 8K.
The VMI women’s cross country team came in seventh place with 206 points at the race, its best finish since VMI rejoined the Southern Conference in 2014. VMI had placed eighth on a few occasions the past 11 years, but had never hit the No. 7 spot in the final team rankings at the event.
Furman won its 13th straight team title with 23 points, while Mercer came in second with 68 points. The Keydets defeated UNCG (212), Wofford (244), and The Citadel (300) in the team standings.
Sisk led the team with a 20th-place finish in a 5K time of 18:32.80, her best-ever personal placement at the event. It was also VMI’s best finish at the SoCon race since Anna Armfield ’21 placed 15th in 2020. Reagan Gilman ’28 was close behind in 22nd place in 18:38.90 while Zoffia Gonzalez ’28 was the third Keydet to finish in 53rd overall in 19:53.
Samantha Layton ’28 (60th, 20:01) and Evelyn Anderson ’27 (70th, 21:45) also earned team points for the Keydets. Natalia Dias ’28 competed for VMI and finished the race in 71st overall in 22:12.
20th – Jillian Sisk ’27 – 18:32.80
22nd – Reagan Gilman ’28 – 18:38.90
53rd – Zoffia Gonzalez ’28 – 19:53.10
60th – Samantha Layton ’28 – 20:01.20
70th – Evelyn Anderson ’27 – 21:45.40
71st – Natalia Dias ’28 – 22:12.80
Furman’s Tessa Walter won the individual title in 17:03 to spur the Paladins to the win.
“Jillian finished her best place in her career as a cadet. Zoffia and Reagan set their personal-best cross country times for a 5K. The women finished seventh overall and were the preseason eighth selection. They came out and performed at their best and against the best.”
“Our women’s team made great strides this year, proudly representing the ‘I’ today. I’m especially proud of Coach Skiles, who joined us just a week before our first meet and has been building something special ever since. The consistent improvement shown by this small but determined group of women is a true testament to what’s yet to come.”
The VMI men’s cross country team competed hard en route to an eighth-place finish at the SoCon Championship.
The VMI men’s cross country team gave a strong performance, finishing in eighth place among a competitive field at the SoCon Championship.—Photo courtesy VMI Athletics.
Hagerich led the way with a 23rd-place individual mark with an 8K time of 25:59.40, just 2 seconds off his personal record for a cross country 8K course. Nicholas Russo ’29 had an impressive finish in 44th place in 26:58, and Colin Crenshaw ’27 was the third Keydet to cross the finish line in 50th place in 27:17.
Timothy Renquist ’29 (63rd, 28:01) and Peter Fiorillo ’28 (68th, 28:22) also earned team points for the Keydets. Cameron Lambert ’29 raced well and finished the race in 70th place in 28:35.
23rd – Ben Hagerich ’26 – 25:59.40
44th – Nicholas Russo ’29 – 26:58.10
50th – Colin Crenshaw ’27 – 27:17.60
63rd – Timothy Renquist ’29 – 28:01.30
68th – Peter Fiorillo ’28 – 28:22.80
70th – Cameron Lambert ’29 – 28:35.10
ETSU’s Jason Bowers won the individual title in 23:44, but the Furman Paladins won their 13th consecutive team title with 20 points on the day. ETSU placed second with 85 points while UNCG finished third close behind with 104 points. The Keydets’ 231 points defeated The Citadel (273) and Wofford (288) in the team standings.
“Ben finished the highest in his VMI career and was only 2 seconds off his personal-best cross country 8K time. Nick Russo finished as the 11th-best freshman in the conference. The men came in the preseason rankings as the eighth-best team. It was great to see the men step up and run their best.”
“Our men’s team, featuring only one senior and one junior, fought hard representing the ‘I.’ Coach Skiles, who started just one week before our first meet, has our cross country program headed in the right direction for the future. While we didn’t finish as high as we had hoped, both our men’s and women’s teams defeated The Citadel today.”
Editor’s Note: These articles were first published on vmikeydets.com.
