Charleston Southern Pursues Seventh Consecutive Title at Big South Cross Country Championship
Charleston Southern enters Friday morning’s Big South Conference Men’s Cross Country Championship with a singular goal in sight: capturing their seventh consecutive conference title. The men’s 8K race is scheduled for a 9:45 a.m. start at Milliken Research Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina. All nine conference members will compete on the course, with the top 14 individual finishers earning All-Conference medals.
Martin Iriondo anchors the Buccaneers’ lineup after building a stellar resume this fall. Iriondo secured two individual victories during the regular season at the CSU Buc Open and the Upstate Invite. He also placed fourth at the Furman Invitational and 17th at the Paul Short Invitational, earning Big South Runner of the Week honors three times this season.
Building Depth Behind the Frontrunners
Griffin Gillespie and Elijah Pabon have consistently rounded out the top three scoring positions for Charleston Southern. Gillespie notched a 6K personal best of 17:40.8 at the Furman Invitational and an 8K personal best of 23:55.9 at the Upstate Invitational. Pabon posted career-best times of 18:31.0 and 24:00.6 at those same respective meets, collecting two Big South Freshman of the Week selections in 2026.
Beyond the lead pack, the Buccaneers display significant roster depth. Eight different runners broke the 25-minute barrier during the regular-season finale, setting up the squad well for Friday’s championship format. That group features William Reid at 24:31.0, Collin Kleinhen at 24:34.8, Andrew Cleland at 24:38.4, Lin Scott at 24:54.6, and Earlon Baker at 24:57.7.
Charleston Southern Targets NCAA Southeast Regionals After Strong Fall Campaign
The team’s championship pursuit rests on a successful fall campaign that featured three meet victories. Charleston Southern opened the season by winning the CSU Buc Open, followed by away victories at conference opponent home meets including the Winthrop Invitational and the Upstate Invitational. The Bucs also secured a second-place finish at the Furman Invitational and a tenth-place showing at the Paul Short Invitational.
Following the race, the Buccaneers will return to Spartanburg. The team is set to compete on the exact same course for the NCAA Southeast Regionals on Friday, November 13.
