New College of Florida Men's and Women's Cross Country will compete in the Sun Conference Championships Saturday morning, hosted by Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida.
The men's 8K will begin at 7:45 a.m., followed by the women's 6K at 8:30 a.m. The championship field includes Ave Maria, Keiser, New College of Florida, SCAD, Southeastern, St. Thomas and Warner.
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RACE NOTES
CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY: NCF will make its second appearance at the Sun Conference Championships after launching its men's and women's cross country programs in 2025.
READY FOR THE POSTSEASON: The Mighty Banyans enter the conference meet following the Coker Cobras Invite on Oct. 23 in Darlington, South Carolina, where several NCF runners recorded personal-best times.
FLEMING LEADS THE MEN: Junior Cole Fleming has been the first Mighty Banyan man across the finish line in each of NCF's five races this season. Fleming opened his NCF career by winning the Panther XC Invitational and leading the men to the first team championship in program history.
TWICE HONORED: Fleming has been named Sun Conference Men's Runner of the Week twice this season. He earned his second honor after finishing as the top NAIA runner at the Ed Holloway Classic.
STRONG MEN'S PACK: Natheer Suied, Alex Llanos and Bryce Blalock have provided consistent support behind Fleming throughout the season. Suied placed third at the Panther XC Invitational, while all three finished among NCF's top four runners at the Bobcat Invitational.
YOACHUM ASCENDING: Freshman Rylie Yoachum enters her first conference championship after developing into NCF's leading women's finisher during the second half of the season. Yoachum was the top NAIA runner at the Ed Holloway Classic and was named Sun Conference Women's Runner of the Week.
WOMEN'S LEADERS: Freshman Mireille Gomez began her collegiate career with a runner-up finish at the Panther XC Invitational, becoming the first women's race medalist in program history. Sophomore Arianna Childs joined Gomez in the top 10 with a ninth-place finish and returns after leading NCF at last season's conference championship.
THREE WEEKLY HONORS: NCF runners have collected four Sun Conference weekly awards this season. Fleming earned two men's honors, while Gomez and Yoachum each received the women's award once.
BACK AT CHAMPIONSHIP DISTANCES: The men's team returns to the 8K distance, while the women will compete in a 6K. Both teams recorded the fastest average times in program history over those distances at the Florida State XC Invitational in September.
THE FIELD: NCF will compete against Ave Maria, Keiser, SCAD, Southeastern, St. Thomas and Warner. Saturday's results will determine the 2026 Sun Conference team and individual champions.
