Jacksonville, Ala. — Blue Mountain Christian University women’s cross country opened its 2026 season Friday at the Foothills Trails, hosted by Jacksonville State University.
The Toppers finished 10th out of 20 teams in their first race of the season. Sophomore Ella Shepherd led the team, finishing 38th with a personal-best time of 19:42.8.
Fellow sophomore Kaedyn Wilson was the next Topper to cross, placing 48th with a time of 20:06.0. Freshman Ally Moore made her college debut, finishing 92nd in 21:51.5.
Two runners finished back-to-back: sophomore Jorja Kate Mooneyhan in 96th (22:04.6) and sophomore Ruth Hutchinson in 97th (22:07.1). Hutchinson posted a personal best. Senior Leah Montgomery finished 139th with a time of 25:28.2, and junior Lauren Paul was 152nd in 27:44.4.
Overall, the team showed promising performances in their season opener, with several runners achieving personal bests, according to meet results.
