LAKELAND, Fla. — The Mississippi College cross country teams turned in a historic performance at the NCAA Division II South Regional Championships on Saturday at Holloway Park, highlighted by the program's first-ever individual regional champion and a top-four finish on the women's side.

Wallace Wins First Regional Title in Program History

Lauren Wallace became the first women's runner in Mississippi College history to win an NCAA regional title, crossing the line in 21 minutes, 18.27 seconds to finish first in the 6K race. Wallace took control in the final two miles and pulled away late to win by nearly five seconds.

With the victory, Wallace earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II National Championships.

Women Finish Fourth, Await At-Large Bid

The Mississippi College women placed fourth with 95 points, putting the team in strong contention for an at-large selection to nationals.

Taylor Benoit finished seventh in 21:46.72 and is also in the mix for an individual qualifier spot, though her selection is not yet guaranteed. Bre Bell followed in 11th (21:56.15), with Audrey Mayatte in 34th (22:50.84), Kinley Harris in 42nd (23:10.70), and Catherine Wallace in 43rd (23:11.36) to complete the team scoring.

Palm Beach Atlantic, Lee (Tenn.) and Tampa earned the region's three automatic qualifying berths. The remaining 10 national at-large bids will be awarded based on regional strength and national rankings.

Men Place Seventh in 10K Race

The Mississippi College men finished seventh with 193 points in the 10K championship race. Matthew Singletary led the Choctaws in 25th place with a time of 32:53.16. Singletary earned All-South Region honors. 

Christian Balcer finished 28th (32:58.73), followed by Baxter Friedman in 30th (33:03.45). Sidney Stegall placed 42nd (33:34.24), and Caleb Whipp finished 78th (35:32.86) to round out the scoring.

Lee University won the men's race with 24 points, placing all five scorers inside the top eight.

Selection Timeline and Championship Details

The full list of national qualifiers, including at-large selections, will be announced Monday, Nov. 10, on NCAA.com. Wallace is already locked into the field individually, while the MC women await the at-large decision and Benoit remains a strong candidate for an individual selection as well.

The NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course in Kenosha, Wisconsin, hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Parkside.