HARDEEVILLE, S.C. — The Savannah State University men's cross country team earned a seventh-place finish at the 2026 Sand Shark Cross Country Invitational on Saturday morning at Sergeant Jasper Park, hosted by the University of South Carolina Beaufort.
The Tigers totaled 183 points in the men's 8-kilometer race, led by sophomore Jaden-Wayne McPherson, who finished 29th overall with a time of 29:57.8.
Sophomore Gabriel Hinkins followed closely behind, placing 30th overall with a time of 29:59.3, giving Savannah State two runners inside the top 30.
Sophomore Braylin Grier was the third Tiger to cross the finish line, placing 42nd overall in 30:47.7. Junior Eszaunie Earls finished 51st with a time of 31:55.5, while sophomore Cameron Frails rounded out Savannah State's scoring five, finishing 68th in 36:58.3.
Sophomore Tayshaun Williams placed 70th overall with a time of 37:52.7, followed by freshman Christian Spivey in 75th place at 42:22.1 and freshman Marcelle Oliver Jr. in 77th place with a time of 42:41.5.
Bethune-Cookman captured the men's team championship with 42 points, followed by host USC Beaufort with 58 points and USC Aiken with 66 points. South Carolina State finished fourth with 102 points, while Maryville College rounded out the top five with 124 points.
Bethune-Cookman's Andrew Kiplagat claimed the individual championship, completing the 8K course in 25:16.5.
Savannah State Individual Results
Men's 8K | Sand Shark Invitational | October 10, 2026
Savannah State will now turn its attention to the 2026 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Cross Country Championships, scheduled for Friday, November 6, at the Georgia Premier Cross Country Course in Macon, Georgia.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is an NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) headquartered in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and eight women's sports and is a proud member of NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.