HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – UWF men's cross country continued its 2026 season Friday at the Southern Showcase at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama, competing against a strong field of Division I programs and 304 individual runners.
 
The Argos placed 29th out of 29 teams in the men's 8K, with junior Grant Chastain leading UWF with a time of 26:05.0 to place 144th overall. 
 
"This is the largest race and probably best field we will be in all year," Head Coach Caleb Carmichael said. 
"We had four guys running their first 8K ever, so we knew it was going to be an interesting race. We had a few guys have excellent days and kind of get back in form and we had a few who just got their first real taste of big college meets. Our focus has been October racing and that's still the case, we will get better as the season rolls along."
 
Preston Cooper was the second UWF finisher, running 26:43.1 to place 198th overall and setting a personal record; Brody Bruce followed closely behind with a 26:43.5 finish for 200th, also recording a personal record. Bruce led UWF in his first collegiate race at the Foothills Invitational, where he ran a 15:55.4 5K. 
 
Xander McLaughlin finished 209th in 26:48.5, while Sean Junco placed 258th with a personal-record time of 27:35.9. Carson King recorded a personal record of 27:50.0 to finish 269th, followed by Joseph Dorn, who ran a personal-record 27:59.0 to place 272nd. Wilson Seeman rounded out the Argos with a personal-record 28:10.4 for 277th.
 
UWF faced a highly competitive field that included Division I programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Appalachian State. The Southern Showcase represented another opportunity for the Argos to compete against Division I competition after opening the season at the Jacksonville State-hosted Foothills Invitational, where UWF placed seventh out of 17 programs. 
 
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The Argos head to Atlanta, GA next to compete in the Georgia Tech Invitational on Oct. 2. For news updates, meet results, rosters, bios, schedules, and more, visit GoArgos.com or follow @UWFXC on X, Instagram, and Facebook.