SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Anderson University Men's Cross Country sophomore Grayson Gibbons (Simpsonville, S.C.) opened the 2026 campaign in dominant fashion Saturday morning at the Converse Kick-Off hosted by Converse University, racing to a commanding individual victory while leading the Trojans to a second-place team finish.
 
The Black and Gold made a statement in their season debut, collecting 70 points behind three top-10 finishes and a second-place team finish behind the reigning national champions No. 1 Wingate. Gibbons paced the field of 190 runners, crossing the finish line first with a career-best 8k time of 24:44.3. Senior Jack Barrett (Greenville, S.C.) followed closely behind with a fifth place showing and a personal best time of 24:57.4 while junior William Cronin (Lexington, S.C.) rounded out Anderson's top three scorers with a sixth-place finish (24:59.6).
 
Senior Sean McAdams (Greenville, S.C.) and redshirt junior Nathan Smith (Danielsville, Ga.) also contributed to the Trojan's team score, placing 19th and 39th, respectively. McAdams clocked in at 25:46.5, while Smith clocked in 25:53.3.
 
Junior Jake Dentler (Travelers Rest, S.C.) finished just two spots behind Smith, posting an 8k time of 25:58.8 while junior Eddie Wedgewood (Easley, S.C.) capped Anderson's seven-man scoring group with a 42nd-place finish in 26:13.18.
 
Five Trojans made their collegiate debut at the meet including freshmen Christian Snell (Greenville, S.C.), Charlie Fennell (Greenwood, S.C.), Fisher Jones (Greenville, S.C.), Leland Brissie (Greenville, S.C.) and Davis Jones (Greenville, S.C.). The newcomers finished 73rd, 74th, 96th, 119th and 171st respectively.
 
Following a two-week stretch away from competition, the Black and Gold will return to action at the Lewis Crossover, hosted by Lewis University, in Romeoville, Ill, on Saturday, Oct. 10.

A full list of results can be found here.