CLINTON, Miss. — Following another successful season that included a Gulf South Conference championship and multiple NCAA postseason qualifiers, Mississippi Christian University has officially unveiled its 2026 cross country schedule. The Choctaws enter the fall with their sights set on returning both squads to the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas.
The Lady Choctaws enter the season following one of the most successful campaigns in program history. Mississippi Christian captured its first-ever Gulf South Conference Women's Cross Country Championship in 2025 while posting the fastest women's 5K team average in school history. The historic season was highlighted by recent graduate Lauren Wallace, who became the first women's NCAA Division II South Region individual champion in program history before advancing to the NCAA Championships. Wallace and Taylor Benoit represented the Lady Choctaws on the national stage, finishing 90th and 110th, respectively.
The Choctaw men also return an experienced and talented roster poised to contend throughout the season. Returning All-Gulf South Conference performer Baxter Friedman and All-South Region honoree Matthew Singletary headline a group that looks to build on last year's success and position itself for another postseason run.
The Choctaws will once again open the season at home, hosting The Opener on Friday, Sept. 4, at Choctaw Trails. Scheduled for a 6 p.m. start, the annual meet welcomes programs from across the region and provides an energetic atmosphere to begin the new season.
Mississippi Christian hits the road two weeks later for the Southern Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama, hosted by Jacksonville State. One of the premier early-season meets in the South, the event annually features many of the region's top programs. Last season, both the men's and women's squads finished as the second-highest NCAA Division II teams in the field, providing an early indication of the success that followed throughout the fall.
The schedule shifts to a split-squad weekend on Oct. 3. The varsity squads will travel to Louisville, Kentucky, for the nationally recognized Live in Lou Classic, while the remaining athletes will compete closer to home at the Belhaven Cross Country Invitational at Choctaw Trails. The return to Louisville marks Mississippi Christian's first appearance at the meet since 2023, providing another opportunity to compete on one of the nation's fastest courses against elite competition.
The entire squad reunites on Friday, Oct. 16, to host the Watson Cross Country Classic at Choctaw Trails. Both the men's and women's teams enter the meet as defending team champions and will look to continue their success on their home course.
Postseason competition begins Friday, Nov. 6, as Trevecca Nazarene hosts the Gulf South Conference Championships in Nashville, Tennessee. The Lady Choctaws return as the defending conference champions, while the men's team looks to improve upon last season's third-place finish.
The road to the national championships continues two weeks later at the NCAA Division II South Regional Championships in Huntsville, Alabama, hosted by Alabama Huntsville. The venue holds fond memories for the Choctaws, as the men's team secured a third-place finish there in 2024 to earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships before going on to place 30th nationally. Once again, a top-three finish will guarantee a trip to the national meet.
The 2026 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5, at the legendary Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas, where the Choctaws will look to once again compete among the nation's best.
A complete 2026 cross country schedule, along with meet information and any future updates, can be found on gochoctaws.com.
