FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood men's and women's cross country return to Spartanburg, S.C., Friday for the 2026 Big South Conference Cross Country Championships at Milliken Research Park, hosted by USC Upstate. The Lancers opened their 2026 season at the Eye Opener in Spartanburg where they finished 5th, giving both squads a return to a familiar course for the conference championship meet.

The women's 5K is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., followed by the men's 8K at 9:45 a.m. All nine Big South Conference member institutions will compete for team and individual honors, with All-Conference recognition on the line. 

Longwood looks to build on its performances throughout the regular season as the Lancers take on the conference field in Spartanburg. The return to Milliken Research Park provides an opportunity for both teams to draw on their earlier experience at the course as they compete for a strong finish to the conference season.

WHAT THEY SAID - HEAD COACH BROOKE CRAIG:
"The team has been fine-tuning over the past few weeks and is ready to leave it out there on Friday. This season has been about focusing on doing the work to be great. Now is the time for them to believe in the work they have done." 

Who to Watch:
• Senior Andrew Hathaway enters the Big South Championships after running 25:48.7 in the 8K at the Paul Short Run, finishing 38th overall. Hathaway ranks sixth on Longwood's all-time 8K performers list and seventh in the 6K with a time of 19:36.5, set in 2026.
• Senior Clinton Clancy heads into Friday's championship with the second-fastest 8K in program history, clocking 25:09.2 at the 2025 Upstate Invite. Clancy also ranks fourth in the 6K with a time of 19:28.3 and fourth in the 10K at 33:15.4, both set in 2025.
• Junior Sophie Farley leads the women into the conference championship as the program record-holder in both the 5K (17:34.5) and 6K (20:54.5), with both marks set in 2025. Farley also owns the second-, third-, and fourth-fastest 5K times in program history, all recorded in 2026, and earned Big South Runner of the Week honors twice this season.
• Sophomore Sydney O'Hara-Wood enters the championship after running 22:50.7 in the 6K in 2026, ranking seventh in program history. O'Hara-Wood also ranks third in the 4K with a time of 14:51.3, set in 2025, and fifth in the 6K with a career-best 22:19.2, also set in 2025. She earned Big South Freshman of the Week honors in 2025.

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