HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (September 18, 2026) – The University of North Alabama cross country teams competed in the Southern Showcase Friday morning at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Ala., with the men finishing 14th and the women finishing 31st.

Junior Brian Bett led the men's team, placing 11th with a time of 24:06.3. Bett was the only runner to place top-20 for the Lions. Bett runs consistently on the John Hunt Park course with his times from today and two years ago being within three seconds of each other.

Nathan Buckeridge was the second runner to cross the finish line for the Lions with a time of 25:28.8. Buckeridge placed 87th and was the only runner, aside from Bett, to finish in the top 100. Following him was Isiaah Krieger and Vincent Chepkwony with times of 25:41.3 and 26:05.5, respectively.

The men's division saw 302 finishers with 29 teams competing. The Lions raced against fellow Unisun opponents West Georgia and West Florida, beating both by over 260 points.

For the women, Sandra Maiyo crossed the finish with a time of 19:18.7, following her was sophomore Audrey Becker finishing at 19:37.4. True freshman Aimee Von Herrmann ran a collegiate personal-best with a time of 19:52.6. She was the third runner to cross for the Lions. Rounding out the scoring five is Alexis Renn and Taylor Williams. The women's division saw 309 runners 31 teams competing.

Both UNA teams competed in the premiere races of the day against some of the most talented teams in the region. Alabama won the women's 5K, followed by Clemson, Auburn, Mercer and Mississippi State. In the men's 8K, Alabama swept the top five, followed by App State, Georgia Tech, Clemson and the nation's top ranked NAIA team — Cumberlands — which beat Jacksonville State and Auburn for the top five.

Next up, the Lions will take a three week break to prepare for the FSU Pre-Regionals in Tallahassee, Fla. on Friday, Oct. 9.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.